Editing Lore Codex

== Lore Codex Entry 1. House Lycanis ==
There is no higher virtue to House Lycanis than loyalty. Loyalty to the Emperor first, to Lycanis second, and to the Empire third… Or so it was meant to be. Somewhere along the way, the proud leaders of this family chose loyalty to their own first, second, and last. Much as some might think Lycanis’ actions were driven by an ideology that was to see the Empire radically transformed, none dare to voice such heresy—especially not after the rebellion’s brutal purge.

No House worked as one quite the way Lycanis did. Whether in combat or across negotiation tables, the chosen of this House struck with singular intent, maneuvering their foes with pack tactics developed to perfection. For purposes of communication, Lycanis developed both an intuitive sign language for use during combat and a secret code based on everyday language that allowed House diplomats to communicate sensitive information to one another in plain view.

But Lycanis’ strength in the bond between its people is also its weakness. A vengeful House, it leaves no slight against one of its own unpunished—even when the politically sensible choice would dictate a different course. Other factions within the Empire found the nobles of this House too hot-blooded—the murder of high-ranking member Julius Lycanis proved as much. For all that weakness, House Lycanis had a history of successful diplomats, even having chaired one of three Imperial positions on the Universal Council for an extended period of time. Lycanis saw any opportunity to serve the Empire as a chance to further the House standing and interests.

Perhaps it was inevitable that this opportunism would see Lycanis make moves against the Emperor. Perhaps the House allowed Gloria Morell’s dulcet tones to silence the voices of reason. Whatever the case—there will be a steep price to pay.

== Lore Codex Entry 2. House Lycanis Part II ==
'''''Loyalty to the Pack'''''

Marcia gazed at the approaching starships through the viewport of ''The Clavalum''. The battered flagship vessel of Lycanis, the ''Wolf-Hound'', was escorted by a pair of dreadnoughts. They couldn’t be more different than one another and still of Imperial make: the austere, functional design of the Neputus vessel was contrasted by Neru-Gal’s craft. The very sight of it awakened some primal fear in Marcia.

Was this to be their home’s destiny? One ship to provide the veil of legitimacy; the other to do Solas Craine’s dirty work? Marcia brushed two fingers against the sole ring resting on her hand. The compartment within held a small capsule. Taking it would provide a quick, painless exit from her current bind. An insurance policy against a far more unpleasant alternative, cooked together by a Gorgona contact ages ago. Marcia was sorely tempted to take it.

They had been so close. Gloria’s plan had worked to perfection, at first. The break-away Houses’ united front had blindsided the loyalists, their astonishment allowing Lycanis and its allies to carry one devastating coup after another. It had all seemed to click in those final hours that led up to Solas’ terrible reversal. Now? They had lost. Gloria had lost, Marcia had lost, and all Lycanis would pay for it.

A shuttle each broke away from the dreadnoughts. The ring on Marcia’s finger grew heavier by the second as she watched them close the distance.

“Ma’am?” One of the pilots said. Some distant kind of cousin, no doubt, he had the look about him, the bone structure that announced his bloodline better than anything else could. “If we engage ''The Clavalum''’s Drive now, we might be able to get away before the shuttles board.”

Marcia shook her head. “Where would I go? No Imperial House, no matter how friendly, will risk Craine’s wrath.”

“Perhaps the Federation, or the Union—”

She gave a bitter laugh. “Perhaps. And be treated as a curio, all of us dragged across their newsrooms and made mouthpieces in their propaganda machine? Or worse, conform to the Union’s demented views? Is a little living worth such compromise? I ask, how many of you—”

The intercomms display came alive without warning, cutting her off. The aged face of High Lord Marcus Lycanis, now bloodied and bruised, looked upon Marcia. Behind him, she could see a few familiar faces—Aki, a few of her other brothers-in-law.

“Father,” Marcia forced out. Not hers, but Julius’s, though that had never made a difference in the old man’s eyes. Their shared grief over these last two months had reinforced an already powerful bond, made both rely on the other like never before. To see him beaten to a pulp lit a rage inside her, made impotent by the knowledge that she could do nothing to remedy the injustice of it.

“Marcia. I have news.” He glanced to the side—was that shame, or was he reading something? She did not know. “After Gloria’s broadcast, ''he'' contacted me. Forgiveness for our allies, mercy for Lycanis rather than eradication. That’s what the Imperator offered. I—I took the deal.”

This was not all he had to say to her. She knew it by his eyes, by the trembling in his voice. “Solas Craine’s mercy always has a sting,” she told him at last. “What else did that man demand?”

“Forgive me, my blossom,” Marcus said. “The Imperator, ''may he outlive the stars—''” the words were a curse from his lips, “—demanded that, for his mercy, I sacrifice what I hold most dear.” His eyes filled with tears. “It’s your life I had to trade, to spare us all.”

Marcia’s breathing slowed as she turned her gaze back to the viewport. She rolled the ring on her finger, again and again. Julius’ last gift to her, that. What would he have done? Marcia pulled the ring from her finger, let it fall down with a clank.

“My life for Lycanis,” she said to no one.

== Lore Codex Entry 3. Federation Corporation PMG Security ==
'''Federation Corporation PMG Security, Entry 1'''

PMG Security is among the faction’s biggest military contractors, a corporation with the capacity to deploy massive Federation fleets at nearly any point across the faction’s territory within days or even hours of a hostile act of violence. Static, automatized defenses carrying the PMG logo are arrayed across the faction’s borders, equipped with scanning tech aimed at monitoring for breaches, courtesy of espionage industry leader OTK Comms. This corporation has attempted to provide candidate-pilots for VasTech’s powerful experimental weaponry but has been stonewalled by VasTech. The move has turned the relationship between the two corporations bitterly adversarial.

While PMG Security holds some of the biggest-name contractors any entity in the Federation could have, that isn’t to say they don’t offer smaller security packages for the deep of pocket. These are tailored to the client’s needs, often following exacting specifications. Suppressing riots, protecting officials, and cleaning up corporate experiments gone terribly wrong are all commonplace assignments to cells within this military outfit. When it comes to corporate espionage, PMG Security prefers to outsource, attempting to either bribe personnel members at their competitors or else hire Nexus Divers to raid their mainframes. Like with military expenditure, PMG does not cut corners when it comes to intelligence—they have been market leaders in the field of security for a long time and intend to remain such.

== Lore Codex Entry 4. Federation Corporation: PMG Security ==
'''Federation Corporation: PMG Security, ENTRY II'''

'''Head of Military Operations File:'''  

''While decision-making across PMG Security’s business interests is the purview of CEO Glenn Prestt, arguably the most important figure at the corporation is Jasna Farrah, the Head of Military Operations. Lovingly nicknamed “The Marshall” by her troops, Madame Farrah is one of the Federation’s bona fide war heroes, a veteran of dozens of conflicts celebrated for her leadership and cool-headed decision-making in the midst of battle. She is the architect of PMG Security’s award-winning training regimen, one of the most effective—if incredibly demanding—methods of unlocking the full potential of fresh recruits. No sacrifice demands too high a price for the Marshall, not when it counts for the defense of the Federation’s borders, for the prosperity of its citizens.''

''To those who lay eyes on Jasna Farrah at present, it might be difficult to imagine how the compact (if sturdy) frame of the fifty-two year-old could once handle heavy-grade military armor with legendary proficiency. As much has been immortalized in dozens of media types based on Farrah’s heroics—yet even those fictionalized accounts pale in comparison to the real deal, though the Marshall will never say as much. Her reticence about the early years of her military career is as well-known as the openness of those who served shoulder to shoulder with her. Nor have those early years of putting riots down across the Federation’s sectors gone by without taking their toll—the Marshall’s disposition is far from sunny at the best of days and her relationship with the Federation’s most expensive alcohols is…complicated, to say the least.''

== Lore Codex Entry 5. Serpent’s Tooth ==
An assassin’s blade, turned away from its original target and in the service of a cause, is a potent tool. The Union tribe known as the Serpent’s Tooth began life in this way, when a group of Imperial assassins from the Glycon and Gorgona houses switched allegiances. Sent to wound the leadership of the Union in the early days of Solas Craine’s reign, these spies had their worldviews altered in the line of duty. Persuaded to turn their weapons against their former masters, they shared their skills with those best suited to perform them. Some operatives of the Federation would later be swayed into joining the tribe, sharpening the Serpent’s Tooth to a still deadlier edge.

The days of recruiting spies from the other sides are all but gone, now. Clandestine operatives are only sent into enemy territory if their ideological beliefs are reinforced to the point of fanaticism. Beyond the razor-thin veil of civility the three factions are each forced into, the Serpent’s Tooth has waged a hidden war across the galaxy, a war of knives and secrets in the dark. The Tooth is no worse prepared than its counterparts. Few in the Union know the ideologies of the Empire and Federation as a Serpent’s Tooth does. Few are as capable of arguing against them—the arguments all the stronger for those in the Serpent’s Tooth have held onto a semblance of their forefathers’ Imperial and Federation accents.

There is little in-fighting between tribes members—discipline is key to the task performed by the Tooth. An internal hierarchy places those with the greatest amount of experience in leadership roles. By its nature, the tribe’s activities are layered in secrecy. Both the Union at large and the Vox understand this; yet some mistrust them. As many are in awe of this small, dedicated tribe, whose purpose has been defined by serving and protecting a society they can never be entirely a part of.

== Lore Codex Entry 6. Bitter Taste ==
''After a tragic collapse during a routine mining operation, members of Tribe Sunless come together for a wake to honor their lost brethren. But not all is as it seems in the silent Sunless-ran bar on the frontier world of Xylen-4…''

Not much, thinks Rem, can compare to this.

She raises her glass to the Sunless workers lounging all over the dimly lit bar, takes another swig of the liquor before half of them have raised theirs in return. It burns just right. Some of it almost goes the wrong way and Rem struggles not to choke. A quiet chuckle on her right tells her Gwyn’s seen the struggle. She won’t hear the end of it for a while, but he’ll remain silent, for now. For a while longer, too. Not even he’d make light at a wake, rowdy as he is.

It’s been hard going, this last rotation at the mining gig. She’s proud to be Sunless, so she is, but there’s something to be said about artificial light for weeks on end. None of it good, ‘course, but that’s the way of it. Rem scoffs. Not like she’s seen the sun much since making planetfall. She should get out of town tomorrow. Its cramped alleyways remind her of the mines a little too much. After what happened—no, she isn’t ready to go back there just yet.

Space would be best, but not with Barb in the state she’s in. Her engine’s busted worse than anything Rem’s seen. Plenty of work she can do in the meanwhile. Not as foreman, sure, and that’d mean maybe the spares for Barb take a little longer to find their way to this old dump of a planet. Priority lists the way they are, seems only fair. No one can ever charge Rem with being pushy. Not her. When Gwyn told her to take a shift with him, hadn’t she shrugged and listened to him?

And ain’t she just flush with gratitude? To have survived where the better part of her family, the people she’s grown up with, seen grown up, all rest beneath the cracked stone. This life…

The silence is broken when a man bursts in. He is tall, lithe, his face non-descript—but fast, faster than just about anyone Rem has seen. The explosion of movement is so unlike the lethargy in the air, no one but Gwyn so much as has the time to react. He shifts in place, begins to say something—but not before the newcomer pulls out a gun, aims it at her friend’s head, pulls the trigger.

The crack of the gun as it discharges, its clatter as it hits the ground, yanks the rest of them out of suspension. Not Rem. She remains dead-still, her eyes glued to the corpse that used to be Gwyn. Rem takes the body in as the few survivors in what was a mining crew of two hundred pull the stranger to the ground. He doesn’t struggle but speaks in a calm, collected tone of voice after their cries of outrage begin to quiet down. She hears the surprised exclamations as he presents the amulet he’s been holding into his other hand, a serpent’s tooth, its meaning known to all. The words of explanation of the man who has killed her friend slowly register as her eyes, unblinking, gaze into nothing.

The stranger’s explanation comes to a close. It hangs there, a snake whose poisonous sting is felt by everyone, and by Rem most of all. She looks away from Gwy—whatever his name was.

“It wasn’t an accident?” she asks at last. “You’re sure?”

The man gives a brisk nod. “Wouldn’t do what I did if we weren’t sure.”

Rem gives a slow nod. Her glass is still in one hand, she realizes—and empties its contents in one last swallow. This time, she has no trouble stomaching its bitter taste.

== Lord Breckard Morell – Empire ==
The Morells were just another minor noble family until Lord Breckard ascended to the role of House leader. He has since brought renown to the Morell name through shrewdness and cunning by building up alliances and making sure the scions of the family would hold their own even with those of better birth and more noble upbringing than themselves. The Morell patriarch possesses a mind for intrigue, and the will to follow through—no matter the price. He has passed along both qualities to his heirs, qualities that took his daughter Gloria far indeed, to the prestigious position of Imperial Adviser and even governess of an entire world. Reports of the governess having been involved in misdeeds against the empire are dismissed by Imperial aide and House Glycon Voice of Truth Nomoro Hiyaku. The Honorable Nomoro dismisses these claims as rumor mongering; to the contrary, she served in these positions faithfully before the family’s interests demanded her early retirement.

Fifty years after he first took on his position, the House head must once more chart a course in uncertain weather. With heavy loss weighing him down, is Lord Breckard Morell the right man to serve the Empire’s interests during this time of change?

== High Lord Akilles Lycanis – Empire ==
Akilles Lycanis, called Aki by close family members, is the youngest direct descendant of the Lycanis family, recently hand-picked by Emperor Solas Craine himself to lead the House. An honorable graduate of the Imperial Academy, Akilles has consistently shown his mettle: as a prefect within the academy’s walls, as a talented commanding officer beyond them, even as House Contact to the Universal Council. Despite his youth, he has led whole regiments into battle, and never lost an engagement. Fellow graduates from the Imperial Academy define Akilles as a stable, even-tempered voice who served to anchor his peers during the most tempestuous years of their lives. He would do the same for the Empire at large.

His loyalty to House Lycanis is indisputable; his service to the Emperor beyond the merest shadow of reproach. The Emperor’s eye is ever on his favored champions–Akilles will not fail him.

== OTK Comms – Federation ==
OTK Comms is strategically positioned to provide non-standard solutions to the information needs of its clients. Company employees perform many roles—information brokers, facilitators between corporate clients and highly-sought freelance agents, suppliers of specialized hardware. These functions are clearly delineated across internal divisions. The Intelligence division employs both aboveboard and clandestine methods to gather a basic portfolio about the current goings-on at the forefront of tech, military development, manufacturing, and sustenance development, among other sectors. With former employees working across many of the largest corporations in the Federation, OTK has many avenues of approach in this task. Human Resources establishes contact between clients and independent intelligence operatives, or recruits moles within the corporate competitors of OTK’s clients. The Tools & Appliances division both develops specialized gadgets in-house and customizes modular technology from third-party suppliers for specific uses. OTK’s Internal Communications department looks to provide further synergy between these objectives.

== Sonar Electronics – Federation ==
Many Federation entities are small-scale businesses operated by hundreds or even only dozens of people. Sonar Electronics is one intriguing example, both due to its earnings margin and atypical structure. Sonar hires highly educated technical specialists (engineers, Nexus researchers, medical professionals) who work in close collaboration with one another to create made-to-order tools for a variety of clients. As for its organization, Sonar Electronics employs a flat structure. This is a fiercely meritocratic business where only the best ideas, judged so by popular support, make it all the way through development. Little is known about the company’s founder except for their initials, B. A., and their insistence on embracing an unusual mode of operations in the aim of persistent research cooperation. The company’s current mode of operations is viewed by many within as little more than raising of capital for the research and development of exciting new developments. These aims are pursued with a doggedness and resolve that make the efforts of much larger corporations pale in comparison.

== Fellow Kase Marshle – Union ==
Many in the Forlorn Brotherhood thank their lucky stars for Fellow Kase Marshle. His role is that of administrator in charge of the Brotherhood’s drive to process refugees and exiles from the Federation and Empire. It's a role he excels in. Structure might not be the Union’s best-known trait, but it is folks like Kase Marshle whose tireless work allows the faction to function the way it does.

Decades of experience have shaped Kase into one of the Union’s most capable coordinators, and one of its savvier political operatives. The systems he has put in place have eased not only the constant demands on the Forlorn Brotherhood’s resources, they have also made easier the task of recognizing hidden spies among those within the refugee camps. The question now is: will Fellow Kase Marshle be given the opportunity to structure the greater Union in more efficient ways?

== Flint Schaqtre, Speaker of Tribe Sunless – Union ==
Flint Schaqtre represents some of the finest attributes of Tribe Sunless. His thirty years of life have been spent extracting precious ores from the cores of asteroids, first working the most dangerous mining jobs before becoming a foreman. In the tradition of his tribe, Flint is well-versed in warfare—and no slouch in the combat ring, either. A hard-working nature and oratory skills earned him the prestigious role of Speaker, as well as the admiration of his fellow tribespeople.

Fiercely driven, Flint’s versatile personal qualities could carry him far indeed, offering the kind of influence that would amplify his voice across not only Tribe Sunless but the Union at large. Yet, ambition is a dangerous trait to have—it is as likely to bring about his downfall.

== Venthe Etruscus – Empire ==
The heir apparent to his House, Lord Venthe Etruscus intends to climb to the top of the Empire, even if he has to wade through countless other nobles to get there. The ill fortunes of his family have taught Venthe to tackle every problem he comes up against with a practical approach, devoid of any moral considerations. Already he has made enemies across the minor houses that owe fealty to Etruscus, using and discarding them according to his needs only. Yet, Venthe’s shrewdness has strengthened his House and, for the first time in a century, begun to fill its coffers with Imperial coin.

Venthe Etruscus has acumen to spare—in this dawning age, how might the Empire benefit from it?

== Chrysana Gorgona  – Empire ==
One of the Empire’s best-known socialites and entertainers, Lady Chrysana Gorgona is a mainstay at Solas Craine’s court. Her connections among the powerful span the length of the Empire and beyond into the Federation’s high society. This high-ranking Gorgona heiress possesses an entrepreneurial spirit unrivaled by most. It has been served well by her circle of acquaintances, virtually all of whom are willing to spend a fortune to have Chrysana play the part of hostess to their expensive functions. Deals—trade and otherwise—take place over these informal functions as often as they do across formal diplomatic channels. Yet, more even than most Imperial nobles, Lady Chrysana is aloof from those below her station; as a result, her relationship to the Union is one of antagonism and disdain.

Would the Empire benefit from Chrysana’s touch?

== Tonocom Defense – Federation ==
Small enough to operate across only one of the Federation’s three sectors and big enough to draw plans for its eventual expansion, Tonocom Defence is an ambitious provider of lightning-fast security services with a secondary accent on military tech research. Its armed forces have seen action across several planetary riots over the last two decades, as well as during the Morn Incident, when the attempted retrieval of a proprietory military-grade fusion generator gave rise to a large-scale conflict between the corporation and the terrorist forces of the Ojin-Kai. Despite losses, the Tonocom Defence fleet proved victorious. Coinciding with the first months of Mr. Gladson’s tenure as CEO, this development has raised Tonocom’s profile across the Federation, giving its stakeholders and employees the much-awaited chance to expand across faction space.

With the Galactic Defense Commission’s military contracts now well within reach, Tonocom’s ambitions may well be at their tipping point: will the Federation’s citizens give them this vote of confidence?

== VasTech – Federation ==
Among the many corporations to originate from Sector-2, VasTech may well be the largest. This corporation is the creator and owner of the proprietary tech behind some of the Federation’s most potent tools of war. A privately-owned corporation rather than a publicly traded one, it is the property of the powerful Huxley family, which has spent the last few generations growing and refining the business. VasTech began as the passion project of a retired PMG Security executive a little over a century ago. Historically a supplier of innovative weapons for PMG Security, VasTech risked everything to step outside of other corporations’ shadows. Its rapid expansion into one of the largest business entities across Federation space proves the gambit has paid off. Today, VasTech has prestige to spare—and it knows it, too. Its smugness, based on recent successes, is well-known, within the Federation and without; more than a few of its past partners have become adversaries over it.

With its refined corporate structure and innovative weapons, VasTech is well-positioned to head the Galactic Defense Commission. Has this corporation earned the confidence of the Federation’s citizens?

== Hayden Blunt – Union ==
Hayden Blunt has not yet seen twenty cycles, Earth standard. Where citizens of other factions might see inexperience, members of the Union recognize potential. One of a dozen representatives of the SNTNLS, Blunt was picked among countless others for her inquisitive nature. Unlike so many of her fellow tribespeople, Hayden doesn’t accept things as they are—she questions what others take for granted. This includes not only the way the SNTNLS go about protecting the Union’s borders, but involves the interrogation of the structures of power that define Union relationships at large. She’s undaunted by age or experience, and doesn’t care much for the past achievements of those she confronts. Hayden champions transparency with zeal, for the sake of both her own questioning nature and all others.

Her voice has become a familiar one across the Vox’s assemblies—will it be given the platform to define the values of the Code of Information for generations of Stewards to come?

== Mongrel Lars – Union ==
Not much is known about Mongrel “Mo” Lars. The lone Serpent’s Tooth to join the Vox is perhaps the body’s most secretive member. Despite initial suspicion over the veracity of his claims, he seems to speak with all the authority of the secretive clan; the fact that no other Serpent’s Tooth has stepped forward to corroborate his claim seems confirmation enough to this. Others of the Vox have described him as a watchful presence. More an observer than a participant during assemblages, Mongrel’s eyes always measure each and every one of his colleagues. When choices are to be made, however, his solitary voice may impart hitherto undisclosed information that can shift hearts and minds alike.

It’s a spy’s prerogative to be disliked, at least when he is out in the open. What is certain is that Mongrel Lars will steward the Code of Information with responsibility - whether he inaugurates it or inherits it from Hayden Blunt.

== Mímir – Planet ==
The original locale of the Cradle, Mímir is the biggest atmospheric body within the sector. It originally caught the interest of the Factions due to an emission of strange signals first picked up in Federation space. The first signal to ever interfere with the Nexus’ communication network, it called for a response: a task force was quickly assembled under the mandate of the Universal Council. The expeditionary force, led by Sera Varse, tracked down the source of the signal to Mímir, and began to uncover the mysteries beneath its phosphorus atmosphere and silicate rains. They stumbled onto a cave system rich in high-density deposits of Quantum, discovering the Cradle soon after. The phenomena and conflicts that followed made the planet both an object of immense scientific curiosity and a deadly battlefield.

There are yet secrets to be wrenched away from the caves beneath Mímir’s violent surface—what answers might they offer the Factions?

== The Cradle – On Mímir ==
Found deep within a system of caverns below the surface of Mímir, The Cradle has been at the center of several recent emergencies brought before the Universal Council. Its initial discovery and the subsequent tests done on it showed a profound connection between the mysterious artifact and the local lifeforms, exemplified by the creatures known as Qyllits. Their destructive frenzy not only put the entire mission in jeopardy, it also gave humanity a glimpse at how intertwined the Cradle can become with its surroundings. That the entire planet disappeared soon after the artifact was activated cannot be a coincidence. Soon after Mímir’s return, the Cradle became the prize at the heart of a bloody conflict between the Factions and the Crimson Wolves. The clash’s resolution was ultimately cut short by the appearance of several “wormholes” (as they were referred to at the time) across known space.

There must be a link between this artifact and the appearance of Einsen Bridges throughout Factional space—but how deep does it run?

== Einsen Bridges – Historic Discovery ==
Originally dubbed “wormholes” and “Anomalies,” the disturbances in space-time that have shaken Faction space to its very foundations have been designated “Einsen Bridges”. The name has been popularized as short-hand for “Einstein Rosen Bridges”. As the Federation, Empire, and Union each look to make the best of the cards the universe has dealt them, it is worthwhile to recall that, while the link between the Cradle and these Einsen Bridges is not yet fully clear, the artifact’s activity has time and again affected their behavior: the similar Quantum energy signatures, the visual lensing and unique quality of the light between each Bridge, the identical growth and behavior between them.

The Factions have barely scratched the surface of the secrets behind these phenomena. 

One question drives each of the three: What secrets will passing through these Einsen Bridges unearth?

== Einsen Bridge Events ==
When Mímir first disappeared from its orbit, taking with it an entire Universal Council ground taskforce, the galactic community was struck by confusion, dumbfounded at the impossibility of it all. Then, questions came one after the other in a barrage, helped only a little by Mímir’s eventual return.

Soon after, the conflict between joint faction forces and the Crimson Wolves around Mímir led to a catastrophe whose outcome is still reverberating through known space. Outside of the material and human costs, Mímir also emitted one of the largest recorded waves of Quantum energy, opening up the Einsen Bridge near the planet. The mechanism through which the Cradle affects Einsen Bridge events is uncertain—but the Empire, Federation, and Union are united in their desire to avoid another calamity like the recent one. No one yet knows what has happened to the ships caught in the vicinity of these Bridges. Even just sending an unmanned probe inside one of these Einsen Bridges has proven to be of immense technical complexity. Yet, thanks to continued inter-factional collaboration, it is now a possibility. What data might be glimpsed of what awaits on the other side? And how will it aid the joint scientific task forces in overcoming the issues of traveling through the Bridges?

== The Empire ==
''A New Dawn Beckons''

Through hell and high water, the Empire perseveres in its quest to be the dominant power across the galaxy. With a new age dawning on humanity, there is little question Emperor Solas Craine will continue to craft his domain into the tool necessary to achieve just this; yet not even the Empire can do so alone.

Despite recent events, its power is undiminished. Its response to the present crisis has been swift and decisive—a marked improvement on what has often been an onerous bureaucratic system keeping effective change from materializing. The Empire has embraced knowledge and shrewdness as it prepares for tomorrow’s challenges. Yet no great change may address all a society’s ills: the Imperials remain who they have always been, over-reliant on their stringent hierarchy, and altogether too exploitative. Offer an Imperial a hand and they are as liable to bite it as they are to take it.

What secrets does the Oracle whisper to the Emperor? What knowledge might he have of the future? To be allied with this faction is to have at least some measure of access to its vast knowledge and resources—but it is also vulnerability to the singular influence of this faction.

== The Federation ==
''Opportunity Calls''

Times change. Those who cannot change with them are waylaid to the side, carcasses to be picked on by the reactionaries and the radicals. The Federation cannot permit that such a fate overtake it.

Thankfully, where catastrophe strikes, there is also opportunity—and the Federation likes to think it capitalizes on opportunity better than any other faction. It is better connected, for one, with the Nexus serving as the linchpin to its instantaneous communication technology. Though this is arguably the greatest single advantage the Federation has over its adversaries, reliance on the artifact is also its greatest vulnerability. Such companies as OTK Comms, recently awarded monumentous contracts by the newly formed Department of Intelligence, are very much reliant on the artifact’s technology. Similarly, the Galactic Defense Commission’s chief contractor, Tonocom, is capable of lightning-fast responses throughout Federation space in no small part due to the Nexus.

Technology, no matter how sophisticated, is only a tool—it is the Federation’s unrelenting hunger for individual advancement that will drive the faction to new heights even in these difficult times. Yet even the Federation must admit the need for collaboration in these trying times, and so it turns to its neighbors in the hope of advancing humanity’s interests.

== The Union ==
''Change is In the Air''

The Union adapts with whatever tools it has on hand, the same as it always has. Shaped in the fires of adversity, it welcomes the first sparks of the coming blaze.

The people grasped at the heavens before, with Empire and Federation boots pressed against their throats. They survived, they held strong, and they prospered. With the very cosmos split open by the Eisen Bridges, they dare to dream once more, of new possibilities and better lives. These will demand changes and sacrifices, including to the diverse ways of life its many tribes and clans are used to. Already it has begun—the Union’s Ethics give form to formlessness, rigidly organizing aspects of Unionite life that were previously a question of each community’s choice. Yet they also encourage that every member of this faction be inquisitive, that they ask questions without fear, without allowing outdated notions of civility to stand in the way of greater understanding of both the universe and the human being itself.

The power rests in the people and the people are restless. Change is coming—and it will demand that the Union collaborate with the Federation and Empire.

== Mathias Voden – Empire ==
No one should question High Lord Mathias Voden’s capabilities. House leader for half a century, he has guided to fruition many of the most important scientific discoveries in the Empire over that span of time. His leadership can be characterized through an accentuation of good science over all else. Where other Houses might have lost influence over such a move, Voden’s standing has only increased—thanks to Mathias’s proficiency, not only as scientist but as scientific administrator. His inexorable approach to projects both big and small is a boon to the House’s researchers. It is also a reason for frustration among many within the Imperial Administration, whose attempts to enforce a scientific agenda on the House are met with continued refusal on Mathias’ part.

To doubt High Lord Voden’s qualifications for this Ministry is to court recklessness. Yet, is a man as uncompromising in his vision as Mathias the right choice to lead the charge into Eisen Bridge research, a novel field that might demand flexibility, in both thought and action? Only time will tell.

== Sakura Kogawa – Empire ==
Sakura Kogawa is the principal engineer of House Voden, the latest of many in the Kogawa family to have held this esteemed position. Born in one of Voden’s longest-serving affiliate families, Sakura has spent her life turning the dazzling inventions of the House’s theoreticians into reality. Her intuitive understanding of machines is complemented by the administrative abilities necessary to take on the responsible role of Principal Engineer. A reliance on bureaucracy as a failsafe against the loss of life and limb of her engineers has slowed down projects more than once. As a result, it has given cause to more than one furious argument with High Lord Mathias Voden, whose inexorable nature would often see such impediments be done away with.

Sakura Kagawa has practicality in spades; her desire to keep the people she commands is admirable. Yet, what she views as due diligence, some would call sluggishness. With the importance of the Einsen Bridge research to the Empire’s future, can she be counted on to choose the Empire’s interests over any one group of individuals?

== Hygeia – Federation ==
Hygeia Systems is best known as a dominant force across the Federation’s competitive healthcare market. It operates advanced medical centers that provide both life-saving and cosmetic health services, available to corporate clients and independently wealthy individuals capable of paying for Hygeia’s exorbitantly priced services upfront. Decades of innovation well justify the corporation’s fees. From a variety of drugs capable of virtually exterminating many of the diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries to procedures that have changed the face of modern surgery, Hygeia is a trailblazer, revolutionizing every aspect of medicine it touches. But the very open corporate structure that encourages its specialists to make these stunning discoveries is also what holds the corporation back somewhat—its internal structure is flat and wide, relying on personal passion and communication. It’s haphazard at best, chaotic at worst.

The contracts awarded by the Department of Human Advancement would go a long way to channeling Hygeia Systems’ creativity towards the Federation’s continued prosperity.

== Eve-N Technologies – Federation ==
Eve-N Technologies has carved itself a big piece of the Federation’s sustenance market through a mixture of diplomacy, discretion, and finesse. Their most well-known line of products, commonly referred to as the SynthSnack™, is a synthetic substitute for organically grown food. Eve-N has built up countless connections and partnerships: with algae farmers and supermarket chains, with fellow chemical producers and shipping companies, all throughout the three Federation sectors. Its business model is set to rhythms that wait for no one, servicing a massive and inflexible distribution chain. This corporation has grown rigid, safe in its success. Much of its business comes either from SynthSnack™ capsules or the food printers Eve-N developed to work in tandem with these.

Offering the Department of Human Advancement’s new contracts to Eve-N Technologies might be just the push this corporation needs to once more find the spark that gave rise to its market-defining product. Will you give them your vote of confidence?

== Jase Yosen – Union ==
When Jase Yosen joined the Redeemers ten years ago, few trusted that he would make the changes he spoke about. Now, to disbelieve him is to deny reality. Yosen has, through force of personality, carved out a band of followers within the clan of medics and health researchers. What these disciples see in him is a visionary, a forward-thinking man whose brilliant mind has given birth to some of the most effective advances in Union medicine in a century. Yet some who have worked with Jase share a certain disquiet about his methods. He is not beyond testing out new types of medicine on himself or his followers, and darker rumors abound as to what other taboos he is breaking in the name of progress.

Jase Yosen uses unorthodox methods to achieve his ambitious goals; is that not the Union’s way? Perhaps it is exactly what the Ethic of Health demands.

== Stefan Sagge – Union ==
Stefan Sagge is an elder of the Snow Dawn clan, a healer from the icy wastes, whose experience and skill have saved countless lives. Stefan has wisdom to spare, having traversed the stars between the planets his people populate, having even served among the Vox once a decade over the last thirty years. Though he would never see himself as such, many in the Vox view him as one of the Union’s dignified statesmen, an even-tempered voice in the tumultuous waters of faction politics. Stefan’s path—both in medicine and statecraft—follows the tried and tested ways of tradition, tenets passed down the generations of Snow Dawn.

Some see him as unoriginal, even reactionary; yet politics has always been a means to an end for Stefan Sagge. His aim is to provide the sick with comfort—is there a better reason than this to lead the Ethic of Health?

== Hakon Va-Halet – Empire ==
Lord Hakon Va-Halet is his House’s military leader, a decorated general renowned for his agility and swiftness. Hakon, a bearish man of forty, first earned renown during some border skirmishes with raider outfits from the Union. He later gained Empire-wide acclaim for leading Va-Halet to victory during the main event of the Imperial War Games. The general has always promptly responded to the Emperor’s call, whatever the need. Like many in his House, he is not an apt politician—the intrigues of his noble-born peers have turned him cynical and disillusioned, forcing him to adopt a bluntness that complements his military position well.

Hakon’s years of military service with distinction are just what is necessary for the head of the Imperial Ministry of Security—but might his political ineptitude be an issue? The Emperor alone knows.

== Léo Praetor – Empire ==
The Emperor has never found it necessary to instruct the Captain of his Guard. Léo Praetor grasps the sovereign’s every need, Solas’ every command, through the minutest gesture or expression. Like all who make up House Praetor, Léo has proven himself one of the Empire’s deadliest warriors—but a man in his position must be more than just a weapon or a shield. Years of loyal service have taught him to navigate dangers far more subtle than an assassin’s blade or poison; most importantly, he, too, is a leader whom others follow. Léo Praetor has had a good example to follow. A hot temper alone undercuts his self-control, most often aimed at those who are less capable than he is—no doubt the inheritance of the Neru-gal blood on his mother’s side.

While Léo Praetor has not commanded Imperial legions or seen border engagements, he has served without fail as the Emperor’s shield. Is he ready to protect the Empire in that same way?

== Republic Technologies – Federation ==
Republic Technologies uses the Nexus to provide an interactive voting platform, the “Majority Rule”, for all local and sector elections. The Federation has always prided itself on providing open access to the democratic process for all its citizens: Republic Technologies expedites the delivery of this quintessential promise. Its Nexus-empowered software offers a balanced platform which invites citizens to familiarize themselves with campaign platforms, the individuals running for office, and the issues they are running for and against. Competitors point to the ultimately derivative nature of the corporation’s product—it is entirely reliant on the Nexus’ capabilities.

That is the reason for Republic Technologies’ recent swerve into the personal finance market; empowered to use personal data due to the “Majority Rule” platform’s Terms of Service, they have quickly encroached on an–until recently–stable market. Receiving and servicing the Federal Bank’s new contracts would cement Republic Technologies’ position in this market space.

== Maelstrom-Enomics – Federation ==
Key among Federation insurance brokers is Maelstrom-Enomics, an umbrella corporation whose subsidiaries include insurance, health care, and pension funds. With a portfolio dozens of subsidiaries strong, Maelstrom-Enomics offers welfare and insurance plans for every stage of a citizen’s life. Such services are not cheap, the burden of responsibility weighing on the individuals who buy into what are lifetime subscription plans. If the party purchasing Maelstrom-Enomics’ services skips several monthly installments, regardless of the reason, the insurer has every legal right to terminate its agreement with the insured party. This policy is less a by-product of faction ideology and more direct testimony of the corporation’s self-indulgent nature: to change any agreement over an individual client’s issues would be an inconvenience that the corporation’s governing body sees as unjustifiable.

Maelstrom-Enomics has had long years of experience and an outreach throughout all the Federation’s sectors. It is well-positioned to service the Federal Bank’s newest financial contracts.

== Emmet– Union ==
Half-ghost, half-legend, the founder of the Faceless has joined the Vox at last. With him is a woman, both of them wearing unblemished masks that hide everything but their eyes, exemplifying the meaning behind their secretive clan’s name. Since their appearance a number of years ago, Emmet’s Faceless have always opposed those who abuse their power, proving themselves the righteous champions of those without the strength to defend themselves. Since joining the Vox, Emmet has continually pushed for policies that enforce the equitable ideology of the Union. Though he enjoys the confidence of many within the assembly of representatives, Craine remains an enigmatic figure. His aims and purposes are his own.

Emmet and his Faceless have waged their secret war against injustice within the Union and without. Whether he can be trusted to shape the Ethic of Safety is, as always, in the hands of the Union’s myriad members.

== Laban Ark – Union ==
One of dozens of Twin Suns ship captains, Laban Ark was on the frontlines of the Union assault against the Ojin-Kai during the Blue Skies incident. It was his intuition alone that helped discover a planned pincer attack that would’ve taken Cillian Mercer and his Gamayun main force’s left flank completely apart. Ark didn’t hesitate, commanding auxiliary ships’ captains that were not his to command—presumptuousness that goes against any Union member’s spirit. Yet military discipline held in combat and the non-Gamayun ships Laban requested aided him in dismantling the Ojin-Kai trap and even helped him with his original objective–to safeguard a vital shipment of ore to the Union. Since that fierce assault, Laban has gained followers and admirers in addition to quite a few enemies. Offered to join the Vox, he has refused; yet when the Twin Suns were randomly picked to put a candidate forward for the Ethic of Safety, his name was put forward by the majority of captains.

Laban Ark’s intuition has already saved Union lives from the Ojin-Kai vultures. True, his presumptuous nature goes against what some would define as the spirit of the Union—but it is a time of change. With the Federation’s continued violence, perhaps now is the time for presumptuousness?

== Dr. Yyuri Takada – Federation MIEB Leader Candidate ==
Dr. Yyuri Takada, PhD, DDiv is Hygeia Systems’ Chief Science Officer. She oversees a wide range of scientific operations spanning a variety of projects, from administering the financial and geographical logistics of countless ventures to leading her own ambitious research on whatever catches her fancy. What she is working on at present is holographic fingernail implants—a novel technology that might revolutionize identification tech as well as open up intriguing new avenues for spycraft. With no one person at the helm of all of Hygeia’s operations, some wonder if its unorthodox structure encourages Dr. Takada to embrace a more flexible style of leadership or whether it might be that her administrative capabilities are wasted among her peers.

Either way, Dr. Yyuri Takada’s scientific prowess is unassailable, her contributions to Hygeia Systems matched by only a few. In short: she is innovative but less systematic in her approach than her counterpart at Eve-N Technologies, Dr. Helena Barnhardt.

== Dr. Helena Barnhardt – Federation MIEB Leader Candidate ==
Dr. Helena Barnhardt, PhD, DDiv is the Chief Science Officer at Eve-N Technologies. She is methodical and personable, a warm presence for her employees despite the vast amount of power she wields within Eve-N Tech. To watch her work is to witness a force of nature: the doctor confronts any blockers in her research with singular purpose, never resting until she has disassembled them completely. Barnhardt is well-versed in diplomacy, having served in several joint research operations as part of the Universal Council in her youth—working to a common end is no foreign concept to her. Both her experience and her position have made Barnhard a welcoming presence to partners and competitors alike. This has lowered the guards of many who accepted the doctor’s rigidity with greater ease.

Dr. Barnhardt might not be an agent of rapid change, but work would move even more swiftly under her than under Dr. Yyuri Takada. Her leadership would prove beneficial for protocol but disadvantaged against rapid change. In short: Dr. Helena Barnhardt is diplomatic but rigid.

== Einsen Bridges – Accelerated Entropy ==
Einsen Bridges continue to be the object of galactic fascination—and worry. Numerous attempts have been made to send objects through them, from automated vessels carrying the most advanced Federation shielding technology and built with the strongest Imperial plating to unmanned probes and anything in-between. While the consequences are not absolute, too often the results exhibited on these pieces of technology erode, metal turning brittle, electronics failing as copper wiring and semiconductors melt to heaps of so much trash. Scientists from the joint research task forces posit that a novel phenomenon, referred to as an “entropy field” in short-hand, is at work. Its natural state is in flux; its strength waxes and wanes, as does the space it covers around the Einsen Bridge. What affects this cosmic tide is, as of yet, unknown.

While a fascinating subject study, the inner workings of these so-called entropy fields are secondary. Primary importance must be given to the development of technology that will fully preserve the vessels and unmanned probes passing through the Einsen Bridges so that eventually, humans, too, may pass without any fear for their safety. No sacrifice is too small in achieving this end—the future may very well rest on humanity’s ability to traverse the Einsen Bridges.

== Nona Levidis – Empire ==
When the third daughter of the minor Levidis nobles married into House Aurelian, no one expected Nona to involve herself with the family business. They should have known better. After all, the young Levidis entered into the Imperial Academy on merit alone. There she excelled in the intricacies of the Imperial accounting system, a specialization that has been an unexpected boon—and a welcome one. Two years into her marriage, Nona has eclipsed her husband in both responsibility and influence across her adopted House. She is a devoted servant of the Empire, to the point of obsession. More than once, subordinates have found Levidis in the same position they left her in the previous night, hunched over expenditure accounts or forensic reports hinting at some Imperial aristocrat’s attempts to defraud the Emperor.

Nona Levidis is an exemplary subject and would embrace the post of Minister of Wealth, yet some fear she will burn herself to nothing within the decade. What unforeseen consequences might her obsession produce?

== Sophia Aurelian – Empire ==
Nobility defines Sophia Aurelian, the heir primary to House Aurelian. Brought up to be the model Imperial scion, Sophia has always known that the fate of the House rests on her shoulders. This heavy weight has made Sophia a fretful leader, though by no means an inefficient one. A financier of considerable skill, she has a keen understanding of House Aurelian’s many responsibilities as Keepers of the Imperial Mint. Sophia has taken up many different roles as part of her preparation for leading the House.

A common thread connects Sophia Aurelian’s handling of each role—always, she has done her duty to the highest standard; always, she has been rigid with tension at the possibility of failure. Will Sophia’s life-long preparations to lead House Aurelian find their ultimate use in leading the Ministry of Wealth? The Emperor will know.

== Novum Group – Federation ==
A sprawling entertainment conglomerate, Novum Group is a champion of Federation ideology. Whatever the type of production, the group’s umbrella structure has it covered. Subsidiaries include a publishing house, studios specializing in the production and distribution of every kind of media known to humankind, countless developers of digital experiences, sports leagues, and even grand-scale competitions. Perhaps most influential of all is the Novum News division, capable of shaping political and social opinions throughout the Federation. Viewed from the outside, this established corporation seems to be shaped by a board whose overarching aims push each division towards compromise.

The story is different from an insider’s perspective. The executive board’s members, themselves tied to various divisions, are often at cross-purposes with one another. This makes Novum Group a lumbering structure, often lacking the necessary coordination to promptly react to unforeseen changes. Yet, they have much to offer to the Communication Commission. Whether that will be enough is entirely up to the voters.

== Novaros Corporation – Federation ==
Novaros Corp began its life as a firebrand, counting on viewer-donated funds to survive—and thrived instead. Propped up by local corporate entities such as Tonacom Defense, Novaros managed to survive countless hostile takeover attempts, peddling itself as the eternal alternate media source. Often in opposition to both Takeyon and Novum Group, Novaros’ executives have shaped their messaging in such a way as to portray the older conglomerates as out of touch with reality. Novaros Corp embraces the most extreme forms of anarcho-capitalism, pushing for a complete dismantlement of Fed governments and uninhibited self-rule by corporate entities. Its pundits take the key tenets of the faction’s identity and push them zealously through to what they dub their natural end point.

Novaros Corp’s prominence cannot be denied, but its fervent rhetoric is sometimes too provocative for the Federation’s greater stability. Nonetheless, there is much they can offer in their potential role as contractors servicing the Communication Commission. Fiery rhetoric will always be a fact—why shouldn’t it be utilized by the Federation directly?

== Sethra Goodrun – Union ==
One of the leading figures behind the X-36 Co-Operative, Sethra Goodrun strikes those who approach her as a grandmotherly figure, a kind elder whose life has been spent in keeping as much of the Union fed as possible. Sethra dislikes titles of any kind, preferring that those who wish to show her respect call her only “Old Mother”. Like her fellow Co-Operative members, Sethra has had to live in the shadow of the Federation, the tribe’s stellar system marking one of the contested territories between the two factions. The Federation has never allowed the Union to forget that the X-36 Co-Operative was originally a large corporate workforce, the last to have broken away from one faction and joined another.

Sethra hasn’t allowed this dark cloud to turn her cynical, choosing instead to embrace hope. A most capable administrator, she has nevertheless shown herself to conform to authority too willingly, submitting at times to the interests of those who promise to make the protection of the Co-Operative their priority. The Ethic of Resource would benefit from her experience; yet might she be vulnerable to outsider influence?

== Asura Welde – Union ==
Asura Welde is one of Saruken XII’s (and the Union’s) chief starship builders. A pragmatist through and through, Asura has long administered projects with expedience first on her mind. That is not to say Welde does not also put an accent on quality—only that she, like her fellow shipbuilders, is often forced to choose between slowing down a project to install guard rails, and pushing on to the next one. Asura’s duties include administering both human and material resources throughout the length of any given project. The weight does not rest easy on her shoulders. Her exacting personality shines through, and the everyday sacrifices necessary to make production quotas have made her an onerous boss to work under.

Few in the Union have proven themselves as apt at administering large-scale projects as Asura Welde. Hard to work with or not, she could set the right tone for this new Ethic of Resource; is she the right candidate to define the Ethic for generations to come?

== Tarraco Charones – Empire ==
The chief physician of House Charon, Lord Tarraco is perhaps also its best known member. The lithe physique and intelligent eyes are as nothing compared to the booming voice and presence Doctor Charones possesses. In the five years since Tarraco began to offer guest lectures at the Imperial Academy on Solaris Regnum, the institution has seen the number of students who choose to pursue the path of medicine skyrocket. That the Academy’s pupils are inspired by him is clear; how Charones received the position in the first place, however, is not quite so. Rumor has it his name wasn’t even in the running for the prestigious position—Tarraco was a virtual unknown beyond his House at the time. Though virtually all who have met Doctor Charones are charmed to no end at first, those who have something that Tarraco might want speak of a less inspired side to the man, a downright conniving one.

The Ministry of Health would benefit enormously from such a figure as Tarraco Charones at its head. But if there is truth to his frivolous use of underhanded methods to get what he wants, might that injure the new Ministry’s untested pedigree?

== Kallista Iasu – Empire ==
Although she bears a family name that signifies her as an orphan taken in by House Charon, Kallista Iasu has risen far indeed. A biologist and health researcher, Lady Iasu has earned her position through merit and care for detail, though her cagey nature has nearly sabotaged her more than once. Kallista’s work is centred on the ways in which hostile organisms use the human body to grow and multiply. Naturally, this research has brought to her attention the substance referred to as Organic Quantum—at least in statements penned by joint Universal Council research groups. Iasu’s study is in its early stages, yet she has already made claims that have taken the intergalactic scientific community by storm: namely that to call the substance “Organic Quantum” is a misnomer that fundamentally misconceives its nature.

If Iasu is chosen as head of the Ministry of Health, she would approach the tasks at hand as she approaches anything in life—with a meticulousness that brings House Charon honor and pride.

== Justinia Solutions – Federation ==
Corporate lawyer firms are a dime a dozen across the Federation, but few have the pedigree of Justinia Solutions. Their slick offices welcome numerous corporate clients from just about every market space across the Federation. These clients pay not only for legal aid but for the treatment they receive: their excessive politeness and welcoming attitude, combined with skill to match, have a captivating effect on their exacting clientele. Justinia Solutions doesn’t only operate across Federation space; one of the reasons behind its longevity is a specialization in Imperial law. Justinia Solutions is one of only a few foreign law enterprises given special dispensation to represent citizens and businesses before Imperial Tribunes.

As a result, this law corporation is more malleable to influence outside the Federation mainstream than others might be. It has had to make compromises to safeguard its Imperial dispensation; yet these connections are not to be underestimated. It could offer much to the Federation, both in its capacity to fulfill the Agency of Justice’s contracts, and in its connections to the Empire.

== Becker-Tanaka-Schmidt – Federation ==
Becker-Tanaka-Schmidt exists in response to one of the Federation’s oldest standing statutes—the need to provide legal defense to those who cannot afford it. Rather than being put on retainer, Becker-Tanaka-Schmidt is paid by the plaintiffs whenever their defense lawyers win a case. Each new case, this organization approaches with pragmatism and impartiality. Those cases deemed hopeless or otherwise impossible to win are quickly settled out of court or even thrown, with as few a billable hours wasted as possible. Personal factors never enter into it. Becker-Tanaka-Schmidt’s lawyers are harsh, liable to see clients as no more than meal tickets.

Becker-Tanaka-Schmidt might have started as a loose association of public defense lawyers but it is a different beast now, one more than capable enough of fulfilling all the Agency of Justice’s contractual needs.

== Cyth Farrier – Union ==
Cyth Farrier follows in the footsteps of countless Light Hammers who have spent their lives to build up the Union. Farrier is driven by a deep sense of duty, conscientious not only in her conduct to the tribe but to the larger Union at hand. A stonemason by trade, Cyth has an innate understanding of the ways in which different edifices and formations can be laid down—a skill that has proven invaluable across the organizing of human as much as inanimate structures. Scrupulous to no end, Farrier has recently put her talents to work in the Vox, both inspiring others with her work ethic and proposing novel social arrangements to those in the Bastion willing to listen. Some of her fellows in the assembly, however, have been surprised by her indifference towards individuals; in her personal life, Cyth seems far removed from anyone, having only a few true friends and confidants.

Perhaps this impartiality could serve her well, if she were to be chosen to lead the Ethic of Civility. One thing is for certain: Cyth Farrier has the vision necessary for this position.

== Syndic Kyle Shiv – Union ==
Those familiar with the nature of the Protos Syndicate are taken by surprise when they first encounter the honorable Kyle Shiv, a leading judge aboard the Bastion. They wonder how it is that someone of such ignoble beginnings could have reached a position of such respectability, never understanding that it was the life as Syndic that taught Shiv the true value of justice. A youth spent at the border between the Union and its dark underbelly has given Kyle a real appreciation for the need for a judicious approach to the internal issues faced by the faction. This is the approach Shiv takes in his courtroom. All voices who step inside and seek arbitration can expect an impartial voice to judge clearly based on the evidence brought forth. Any who think they might be able to intimidate or use force of any kind to compel Shiv will be sorely disappointed. The judge cares little for threats of any kind—for anything but the facts of the case, in fact.

Syndic Kyle Shiv is a man of principles, a man whose code of conduct is severe but fair; with him heading the Ethic of Civility, the laws that administer the relationships between Unionists will only be strengthened…but at what price?

== The Empire - A Realm Ascendant ==
The ancient mechanisms of the Empire have been built upon, their additions efficiently and inexorably pulling its countless citizens into the future…whether they want it or not is beside the point. Under the guidance of House Voden, the Ministry of Knowledge has once more lit up the light of science across the Empire, and brighter than ever before. The Emperor’s favor shines down on House Voden—it’ll be a long time before anyone dares question their commitment to the Empire again.

Perhaps the new age calls for a new approach. The Empire chooses to embrace cunning over brawn, lying in wait as its enemies exhaust themselves, exploiting every weakness it sees with due promptness. It is a cold, cynical outlook—but then, the cosmos is a cold, cynical place, as Security Minister Hakon Va-Halet will be quick to remind anyone. His ministry, for one, is all too happy to remind anyone that may be in doubt of the Empire’s military might. Its ships never fail to inspire loyalty in the faction’s subjects and fear in its rivals. Yet, too many of the commanding officers aboard these vessels calculate to the betterment of their own interests before the Empire’s. Those who are astute enough to see this—and take advantage of it—are the true movers and shakers within this faction.

None may see what the future holds—none save for Emperor Solas Craine. The Empire prospers through his guidance, and will continue to do so forevermore…or so he believes.

== The Federation - Embracing the Future Today ==
Despite the initial shock of a galaxy in flux, the Federation has found the strength to continue onwards. From its Galactic Defense Commission to its Department of Human Advancement and beyond, this faction has succeeded in adapting to changing circumstances on a cosmic scale. It has done so by speedily embracing innovation, relying heavily on the threads that bind its society together; for all the squabbles between sector governments and conflicting corporate interests, the Federation’s survival instincts are a thing to behold. Even sworn enemies have come together to aid their faction’s efforts to recover from the shock of the recent catastrophe.

The Federal Bank continues to inject new life into countless struggling businesses while the Department of Human Advancement makes its first strides into a framework that might well see this faction push our understanding of what being human means. A brand new Communication Commission has awarded a number of contracts to Novum Group—this established giant of news and entertainment will reinforce the norms and values of the Federation for generations to come. Last but not least, the Agency of Justice has welcomed into its fold Justinia Solutions, a corporate law firm with the experience necessary to resolve many of the corporate conflicts that harm the faction’s stability.

Time will tell what fine tuning these new programmes for development will demand—what is certain is that the future is within an arm’s reach. It’s up to each individual citizen of the Federation to make it happen through embracing their own potential.

== The Union - A New Ethic Forged in Brotherhood ==
No faction is as pliable in the face of change as the Union is. Whether it is through the collective sacrifice demanded of each and every tribe and clan or through the changes enforced by the new Ethics, Unionites don’t shy away from doing what needs to be done in the name of survival. They are, after all, a forward-thinking people, as equitable in their burdens as they are in the sharing of their spoils. The faction chooses more unorthodox approaches than any other, the unrefinement of many of its members a point of pride rather than shame. If there’s anything to be said on the matter, it is that the Union’s preference for the path less trodden is so deeply a part of their identity, it’s become rigid, a default they fall into. Some in the faction fear that as conscientious as many Unionites are in the performance of their duties to all, they hide behind their masks—figurative or literal—a callused indifference in the face of an uncaring cosmos. Those who have yet to lose their naivety are all too prone to submit to the interests of others…as the recent Irenic Einsen Bridge Tragedy reminded all the faction’s members.

The future shape of the Union, like that of many of its clans, is uncertain. What goes without question is the Union’s adaptability. The faction knows how to survive no matter the hardships to come.

== Excerpt from A Life in Action: Donel Gladson ==
Donel Gladson is a poster child for the individual drive celebrated across Foundation space. The son of engineers working maintenance aboard Genesis station, Gladson aced his regulation exams and joined the frontline ranks of Tonocom Defence, serving first as infantry personnel and later as a Federation-certified officer. Donel’s meteoric rise to Assistant Head of Security at Corporate HQ in the span of seven years was only the first step in his march across the corp’s upper management—opportunities saw him brush against no less than half a dozen of Tonocom’s internal divisions over the next decade, each of them seeing marked figures improvement over his tenure. When the call at long last came, Gladson was more than ready to step up.

At thirty-five years of age, Gladson is not the youngest chief executive out there, but he is certainly among the best liked—former squad mates, officers that have directly commanded him and been commanded by him in turn, department heads, have nothing but praise for the six foot five inch giant of a man. Military service has given Mr. Gladson a hard preference for a life dominated by routine and he spends much of his free time in an exclusive martial arts club co-financed by Tonocom and PNG Security. Outside of the countless social functions demanded of the CEO of any corporation of Tonocom’s size, he leads a life of solitude, one without excesses—despite what the rumors would have you believe.

== Diplomatic Communique Between the Empire and Union, 70. 8. 512 ==
Madam Goodrun,

Allow me to be the first of His Imperial Majesty’s Ministers to congratulate you on your recent increase in stature. You must be overjoyed to be in such a position of authority–between the two of us, I am certain time will make power taste all the sweeter to you. An ally in the Empire, one such as myself, would be of the greatest benefit to you and your people–surely that cannot be lost on you. I could, with a well-measured flick of my finger, make certain that the Federation’s interests in your native X-36 Co-Operative stellar system are set back by decades.

This is power, Madam.

Oh, but imagine if that finger is pushed by a mere trifle or incident the other way... 

What I need of you, Madam, is assurances. Assurances that any asylum seekers will be turned away, or better yet–delivered to Imperial military vessels on our common border. The Empire wishes no diplomatic incidents between our two factions, seeing as both have suffered under the Federation’s treacherous ways. I like to think there is a path of friendship ahead of us…if only you will allow tradition and experience to guide you in moments of need.

I believe this might be a fruitful relationship between our two governing bodies. Do not let my belief down, I beseech you.

Yours in good faith, 

Venthe Etruscus

== Imperial Decree D633Y512 ==
In service of the Emperor, all subjects of the Empire must:

1. Surrender all Federation-made finery or be punished through penal labor.

2. Surrender all Federation entertainment media or be punished through penal labor.

3. Disclose private relationships with citizens of the Federation to the local representative of the Imperial Ministry of Trust or be held in contempt of Imperial rule.

4. Disclose public relationships with Federation business entities to the local representative of the Imperial Ministry of Trust or be held in contempt of Imperial rule.

5. Allow the light of His Grace to shine upon those whose honor they see to have been sullied while in public spaces. Labor of the old world will be required until the fallen have discovered and reforged their undying loyalty to Imperator Solas, may he outlive the stars, or work until dead.

== Character Bio: Lina Kharin-Dwyer – Federation ==

Lina Khairn-Dwyer is a career journalist and the child of political scientist Gino Metti-Dwyer and star musician Karina Khairn. Lina grew up in the full comforts the Federation has to offer, choosing to pursue journalism as a way of escaping her overbearing parents. Thanks to her mother, Khairn-Dwyer broke first into the Federation’s entertainment industry, turning into an overnight sensation after a series of interviews with giants of film and music. The interviews quickly went viral, turning Lina’s name into a recognizable brand across the better part of the Federation. Much like her father, Lina’s true passion is politics—after making a name for herself, Khairn-Dwyer moved onto the political track first at Novum and later at Takeyon Reports itself. Despite her current role as correspondent, she has also penned a number of scathing articles about the dominant issues of Federation society today, widely read and received in the most polarized climate.

Today, Lina Khairn-Dwyer finds herself in the eye of a storm whose increasing size at once frightens and fascinates her. Will she thrive in the middle of it all, or will these exciting times threaten to undo her?

== The Laws of Hospitality - The Union ==

There are two widely held laws of hospitality across the Union. One is for those that are not known to the tribe, while the other is for its foes. Both can be called upon with the right words, even in times of bloodiest in-fighting. The first, the law of shared warmth, is given freely in the depths of space and on the darkest, coldest nights on distant worlds. The Union takes care of its own.
The second law is the law of restraint and can be called upon by those who have injured the tribe in words or deeds. It is rarely sounded, for those that draw on this law surrender themselves in body and spirit to their enemies, and must bear the scars of such indignity all their lives. Nor are these figurative scars. Those who call on the law of restraint are marked by steel, somewhere where all can see that their foes held their lives in their hands but chose to spare them.
Theirs is not an easy life.

== The Unbroken - In a Crewmember’s Own Words ==

“You would never look twice at The Unbroken. Not because it’s a rust bucket–it sure as hell ain’t, Chief Engineer’s made sure of that. And not because it looks like every other ship out there; no, the old girl’s looking better by the day, I’ve made damn sure of that.

You would never look at it twice because the captain won’t give you the chance. You’d be too busy putting out fires on your own barge, while us lot are busy moving onto the next prick who’d try to stop us.”

-Faceless Wry, serving on-board The Unbroken

== Excerpt From Ivona Craine’s Address to the Universal Council ==

Honored Representatives, Fellow Colleagues,

I turn to you in this hour to request that the Union’s offer of asylum to my person be ratified by all three of the Factions. I do not make this request lightly.

As many of you know, I am a patriot. I have never hidden this, have never given anyone reason to doubt me. My loyalty is beyond reproach. To take this step, to make this request of you–trust that I have the best intentions of all humanity in mind. The best place for me to serve the interests of this council is in Union space.
The Oracle has offered dire warning, one that demands my course of action in this direction. I ask you now: allow me to continue in my glorious purpose.

It was always my intent to return the Universal Council to the majority system of the pre-Shockwave days; it heartens me to see it was my trip to Mímir that allowed for this to happen. I have found answers—

[The rest of Commander Ivona Craine’s speech is redacted, for the eyes of the representatives of each Faction only.]


== The Ruin of House Plata ==

It is rare that any Imperial House will attempt to defraud the Empire. Financial scams may promise great riches to those foolish enough to pull them, but the fate of House Plata is a bitter lesson against such an endeavor.

Within the Empire, this house is only whispered of; to even mention Plata’s name is a punishable offense. The other Factions remember the ill-fated tradesmen well, however: capable and worldly financiers whose curiosity went well beyond Imperial borders, the lords and ladies of House Plata enjoyed the best of what life has to offer. They spared no expense: and as one of the houses that had control over the Empire’s financial institutions, they didn’t have to. Despite the riches generated, however, House Plata ventured into a new enterprise–tax avoidance.

When the Emperor found out, his response was all too swift. Neru-Gal was dispatched to Plata’s homeworld. By the time they were done, only ruins and rubble remained. If any members of House Plata survived, they kept their identities well and truly hidden, for none have claimed that name since.

Those that picked up Plata’s responsibilities, the sons and daughters of House Aurelian, have gone a long way to distancing themselves from even the shadow of financial scandal. They remember the circumstances under which they gained their role as Keepers of the Imperial Mint–and are all too eager to avoid their predecessors’ fate.

== Aish Fenix: Early Years to the Present ==

A woman of humble origins, Aish has placed her service to the Union above all else. Born into Tribe Sunless, Aish knows the value of hard work better than many others. She knows, too, the burden of preparing for a war that might never come—and the value of trying to prevent such destructive conflict. Aish spent much of her youth mining asteroids as part of her Tribe Sunless pot. This ended in tragedy, as the ship Aish was on suffered a series of electrical failures during a routine asteroid haul. The failures saw a devastating fire get out of hand, eventually reaching the engine room—the resulting explosion turned the whole vessel into a fireball for one short instance before the vacuum of space suffocated it all. The vast majority of Aish’s friends and family died in the fire or the explosion afterwards. Only a single escape pod survived. It held the ship’s young, children between seven and twelve, dragged away by none other than Aish. This heroic deed earned her countless burn scars, a reputation, and a name: Fenix.

Where her former Union representatives on Ignis Station might have been loath to work with the less peace-loving members of the Union, Aish shows no reluctance in building relationships with even the most bloodthirsty of the clans that make up her faction. That is why she serves as Speaker of the Vox—a position she petitioned against with as much fierceness as possible, but nonetheless was overwhelmingly voted into. Aish has nonetheless proven herself as a fiercely capable leader—all the meanwhile looking for someone else to whom to pass the baton.

== House Haden - Empire ==
Death comes for all, save the Emperor—that is why House Haden serves Solas Craine. Haden is no less devoted to death, however, demonstrating a fanaticism that unnerves even the stolid members of House Praetor. If the Emperor wishes to intimidate his audience, he will often order House Haden warriors to join his honor guard. Their ritual attire rarely fails to frighten and intimidate.

Haden is a large Imperial House, and a storied one. Even to many within, the more fringe elements of its unique culture are seen as unnecessarily arcane, beyond the reverential for Emperor and Empire and inching towards the grotesque. Death is approached with respect by all, even with kinship—beyond that, there is great variance in attitude towards it. Some merely accept its coming in all things, while others actively work to deliver the Empire’s enemies into its clutches in the most efficient ways imaginable. Illicit weapons experiments are carried out across secret Haden facilities, each of them located across Imperial planets in the furthest depths of the Outer Rim. While Haden cares nothing for the living, they show respect for the dead and dying, allowing their cousin house, Charon-V, to venerate them with solemn ritual.

== The Gamayun’s Shifting Fortunes - Union ==
Following Cillian Mercer’s death, the Gamayun mercenary clan has struggled to keep its cohesion. Internal conflict has engulfed the clan over the past months, with no end in sight. Though Hunter Yin is the most likely contender for the leadership position, many of the militaristic members of the clan have refused to follow him because of his scientific, rather than military, background. The clan now looks at Mercer’s leadership as a by-gone golden age, one that may well be lost forever to all of them, just as he is.

Hunter Yin would beg to differ. His commitment to the supremacy of the work done at Gamayun Labs has led him to believe that if he could only make the Union recognize its dependence on Gaea’s research facilities, even his harshest critics within the clan would be forced to fall in line behind him.

With The Arbiter’s return, Yin senses an opportunity–will he get the chance to seize it?

== Borealis Inc: Serving the Bottom Line - Federation ==
Despite extended court proceedings, Borealis Inc., a VasTech research division™, has managed to survive the past few months financially unscathed. Public perception, however, has been less than kind to the scientific outfit. After details of human experimentation emerged, Borealis has been doing the rounds across all the big news channels—Takeyon, Novum, Novaros—in the hopes of regaining its credibility with members of consumer society. Whether this overarching media strategy pays dividends is as of yet unclear.

With the appearance of The Arbiter, however, it is now more pressing than ever for Borealis Inc. to regain consumer confidence—especially before VasTech’s directorial oversight committee decides that Borealis’s work does not warrant the confidence its parent corporation has given it. It would be better for all involved if Borealis Inc. began serving the bottom line again.

== Drugs Forbidden for Use during Operations - Excerpt from the “Universal Council’s Extensive Guide to Rules and Regulations, Ninth Edition” ==

'''Blood of the Chosen:'''
-> Psychedelic, ritual drug;
-> A loss of self, destructive bloodlust towards outsiders, an overwhelming sense of connectedness to others who ingest the paste;
-> Anywhere between 4 and 24 hours;
-> Created by House Neru-Gal through the mixture of human blood with paste mashed from a type of psychoactive fungi.

'''Blur:'''
-> Opiate;
-> Possesses all the dissociative qualities of Glaze (see below) without any of its energizing effects;
-> Lasts anywhere between twelve and sixteen hours;
-> Created by Aventis Laboratories.

'''Glaze:'''
-> Opiate and stimulant all in one;
-> Energy floods the body while the mind retreats into a pleasant haze, serving to automate manual labor;
-> Lasts about an eight-hour work shift;
-> Created by Aventis Laboratories.

'''Green Fields:'''
-> Tranquilizer, used to regulate anxiety;
-> A sense of calm washes over the user. The drug is widely supplied to Union folks;
-> Lasts for about twelve hours;
-> Created by Gamayun Labs.

== Blagoi Shulka - Federation ==
Blagoi Shulka is the face of Novum News. He has hosted a range of widely watched shows, from variety entertainment to tension-charged one-on-one interviews with the Federation’s most powerful stakeholders. “Old Shulka” as some call the media veteran is himself a powerful shareholder within the greater Novum Group corporation.

Shulka is a highly controversial figure, known for his inflammatory rhetoric and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. He plays to a public persona that champions the disenfranchised, speaking out against those in power. His views and opinions often kowtow to corporate interests, however–or so his critics would have you believe. He has a large following across the Federation, countless citizens of the faction taking his word as the gold standard of truth. Not even his fiercest critics can ignore Shulka’s voice for long, not when he has something to say…and not from the platform he has to say it.

== Dr. Alannah Simoff - Federation ==

Dr. Simoff has been working for more than a century thanks to the Federation’s life-extending technology. In the course of her long life, she has given her faction the tools necessary to make life in the Federation safer and more prosperous. This has earned her gratitude from her fellow Federation citizens, equalled only by the scorn of members of the other two factions.

A pupil of Guinn Institute’s inaugural class, Alannah Simoff went on to take a position in defense mainstay PMG Security, a position she soon left for the nascent VasTech corporation at the invitation of founder Albert Huxley. After a century of helping build up VasTech, Simoff left the corporation to pursue her projects free of what she’s called “the idiotic greed of children calling themselves men”. Considering word of her explosive exit from the corporation she helped build and the continued litigation suits and counter-suits still at play across Sector 1’s courts, it is not difficult to imagine who Simoff might mean. Rumors say members of VasTech’s research staff are still putting out the fires she left behind in her lab.

== Conductivity-12 - Federation ==

Conductivity-12 has only existed a few short months but there’s already a wait list made up of all the corporations eager to hire its services out. Yet Dr. Alannah Simoff, founder, CEO, and Research Director, is none too hasty in directing the work of her newly assembled team towards one errand or another. She knows Conductivity-12’s reputation will be made not on the speedy delivery of flawed results for the sake of narrow-minded corporations out for short-scale profits. No, its name will be made on the truly impressive breakthroughs that lie before the company.

A lifetime of work for others has made Simoff independently wealthy; she could bankroll the young scientific outfit for many years to come. Money is not where Conductivity-12’s interests lie; every scientist working at the new corporation wishes to carve out their name across the stars–a trait every one of them shares with Dr. Simoff herself.

== The Quantum Wars ==

[DATA CORRUPTED]

[PLEASE CONTACT THE CLOSEST UNIVERSAL COUNCIL ARCHIVIST FOR HELP. THANK YOU.]

[Don’t let it happen again.]

== Justice in the Empire ==

A subject of the Empire lives and dies by the pleasure of its ruler. From the lowest of the low to the highest lords and military commanders who shape the faction’s outward-looking face, all lives belong to Solas Craine. No right they have is intrinsic; no right that can’t be taken away. This is made painfully obvious in the Imperial stance towards the practice of torture. The Empire has long since dismissed concerns that torture is in any way barbaric. Like much else, it is a tool for the occasion. What that occasion is…that is for the powerful of the day to decide.

Some believe this demands change. Some say no man should dictate the fate of the Empire and its people through whim alone, not even its Emperor. The Emperor’s silence, his remoteness from society, does not help matters.

Even Imperial justice, monolithic as it is, might be beginning to show cracks. What will be next?

== Justice in the Federation ==

To order a prisoner’s execution is to snuff out the potential of an individual: the Federation’s judiciary considers itself better than this. There are more fitting punishments to ensure a criminal pays off their debts to the Federation. Even in the highly mechanized society of this faction, manual labor has its uses. Brand new colonies demand plenty of effort, often on worlds hostile to human life–at least to begin with. Why force good, law-abiding citizens to suffer under these extreme conditions when those who owe a debt to society can repay it in such a way, instead?

OF course, even the worst of offenders stand to be rehabilitated. They only need to fulfill one condition—they must be of use to someone with enough power or influence to change their lot in life.

== Justice in the Union ==

There is the justice of the Vox and there is the justice of the mob, and even the bravest of the Union know fear when they become one and the same. With calls to hold the Imperial aggressors to account the loudest they have ever been, there is the very real risk that justice might be compromised in order to satiate the collective’s demand for blood. If the spirit of justice is given over to the calls of the many to get even with the prisoners, the Union’s ideals may well suffer for a long time to come.

Will Aish Fenix, as Speaker of the Vox, be able to distinguish between justice and vengeance? She has much to contend with, both in her capacity as one of the Union’s leaders and as a member of Tribe Sunless. Does she even want to make such a distinction? Only time will tell.

== Corruption Across the Empire ==

The Empire is not free of corruption. Some have posited that it is the most corrupt among the factions. Any definite judgment one way or the other would require studies to be done, official UC observers be allowed access to the higher echelons of Imperial power, and members of the Imperial bureaucratic machine step forward to share their experiences. This is as likely as Imperator Solas Craine waking up one day and embracing democracy.

One aspect of the Imperial structure is well-known for its corruption. All are aware of the nepotism inherent in the pillars of the Imperial government; it is something even its military is not free of–to the chagrin of professional Imperial soldiers. Not all scions of noble Imperial lines live up to the names they bear. All, however, believe that they deserve nothing less–and therein lies the issue.

Minister Hakon Va’Halet’s promise to eradicate corruption has drawn mixed reactions from the Imperial nobility. Some consider it posturing, while others believe his words are nothing more than bold-faced lies. A select few believe the Minister–and may take matters into their own hands.

== Organization Across the Federation ==

Daily life across the Federation is organized with the greatest efficiency in mind, thanks to Nexus-empowered instantaneous communication. That, at least, is the case where the corporate world is concerned. Pieces come together like the most intricate clockwork of old: deliveries are made exactly when necessary, integrated together in seamless production lines that waste no time between each step of the manufacturing process. This is the case whether the topic of conversation is the logistics of food or the manufacture of starfaring vessels. There is inertia to these processes, familiar rhythms that lull Fed society into an unbreakable routine.

On the few occasions when this well-oiled machine has ground to a halt, public unrest has caught like wildfire. The Federation does not do well with idleness–it needs to produce as much as its constituent members need to consume what is produced. This is not a society that can stay frozen in place, awaiting the unknown with bated breath. No, the Federation would much rather lash out–without discriminating.

== The Foes of Tribe Sunless - Union ==

Tribe Sunless, one of the Union’s oldest, has made its share of enemies. There are those whose actions have harmed long-standing alliances, like the Blood Moons. Their successful coup against their Dual Moons parent clan turned Sunless’s most trusted ally into a hated enemy. The deteriorated relationship between the two factions has forced Tribe Sunless to dust off its weapons and defend itself against these aggressors.

There are political disagreements, and rhetoric that has created long-lasting enmities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the tribe’s relationship with the Golden Eclipse clan. Tribe Sunless finds Golden Eclipse’s actions meaninglessly symbolic. The clan’s tendency to destroy the fiat currency gained from raids on the other factions rather than surrender it to the Vox–as is generally accepted–is seen by Sunless’s members sitting on the Vox as foolhardy. As a result, these representatives have continually spoken against Golden Eclipse practices, which the clan sees as an attack on itself.

Then, there are the Rockdwellers…and everyone knows what transpired between Sunless and the Rockdwellers.

== President Victor Hugo Huxley’s Encrypted Correspondence With VasTech CEO James Huxley, 46.2. 513 – Federation ==
…I hear you, brother, and I share your unease. The introduction of another player makes things more complicated than necessary. But–and here’s the thing, James –we wouldn’t have been in this position if you could hold your mouth shut. Simoff’s loss is on you; she was more a part of the family than half the Huxleys running through my sector, and you burned all that loyalty down. Now, she’s gone; if the Universal Council had only recruited her, she would at least still be in the public eye. But the vote dictated doing things by the book and now she’s in the wind, working for our enemies.

I can only do so much about buying you time. Find out who this Scintilla is, and make sure she receives a bullet for all the trouble she’s given us.

Get your shit together, James. Fix this, or I’ll fix it for you.

== The Pursuit of Ideological Purity - Union ==
The Union Commissar works tirelessly to shape the ideology of their faction. Free to travel among any tribe or clan, the Commissar goes wherever there is reasonable doubt of Union folk acting against the faction’s best interests. Dangerous ideas can catch like weeds among even the healthiest crops - it is up to the Commissar to tear them at the root. These powerful figures are feared, and for good reason. More than one tribe has been torn apart due to suspicions of harboring sentiments that go against the Union’s mutual understanding.

Commissars are empowered by the Vox’s Speaker to act with impunity. Once given a task, the newly appointed Head of Commissars is like a hound on the trail; Aish Fenix has every faith that she will be up to the task.

== The Concept of Failure in the Empire… ==
…does not exist.

== The Drive for Profit - Federation ==
Federation society often cannot help itself, not when the possibility for profit is in its crosshairs. Income is everything in the Federation–a source of prestige, a path to a longer life, political influence. Elections are most often won based on which candidate’s pitch includes better prospects for profit; it is this, rather than any ideological arguments, that gets the votes flowing.

When the promises of enough sitting presidents in a row fail to materialize, the tides can turn and ideology proves more persuasive coin than empty words. Such was the case with Kim Lee–a candidate fuelled by ideology. She entered presidential office on a wave of discontent with the status quo: the first in a string of unusual circumstances that have marked her presidential term so far. While many of her opponents call her a populist, no one has quite been able to dispel one basic fact about President Lee: She does her best to help her constituents.

== Archival Report for the Council FS3N#512.178: The State of Vargas ==

The mining population of Vargas seemed well and truly on the mend, following the continued ministrations of Union forces. The Union, deployed as ordered by the Heka-α1 Crisis Resolution Vote, left some weeks ago; with it, so did any hope of the situation stabilizing in the long term. The Resolution vote demanded that the Union clean up the streets of Vargas. This, they have done with expertise, to the surprise of no one. Union chemistry is better capable of flushing drugs away – I wonder why that is…

The problem Vargas now faces is lack of investor interest. The last of the corporations still sticking around do so only because of Kim Lee’s economic incentives; the Sector president is desperate to breathe life back into Vargas but her political clout with the corporate world is not equal to the task. They don’t own Lee, so they’re less than willing to speak with her when she comes calling. Worse yet, some of the local corps see Vargas’ death knell as a wound against Lee herself. See her fail in her campaign promises, and she’s liable to lose re-election.

What’s one little humanitarian crisis compared to that? (At least, that’s what I’ve gathered from my contacts, Madame.)

Signed,
Agent L’or

== Worst Case Scenario ==
''My dear Doctor,''

Your kit is astounding. It might not have the full capabilities of the Universal Council’s Explorer Suit, yet the range of protections it provides was more than apt for the purposes of this test. The factions were fools to let you slip from their fingers, and those VasTech goons most of all.

Samples of the hema-fever are now in our possession. I have it on good authority that the Universal Council’s health personnel do not yet have means of inoculation against this fever. Even if they did, to inoculate countless lives across Faction space would demand resources and efforts that even I struggle to account for. Voices within the Council will point out how little sense sinking resources into R&D for an outbreak already in control would make, I have no doubt. Meanwhile, we will make the best use of their inaction that we can.

The hemo-fever is only to be deployed as a desperate last measure, you understand. The cost of a large-scale breakout would be bad for business; but it is a potent tool of negotiation, especially with that fool Va-Halet circling the water. I have set up precautions already, but you can never be too careful.

No amount of disturbance on my end should take away from your work. This operation values you, Doctor, and your point of view has made us all the more efficient. I will continue to provide you with all the funding you require: you may count upon it.

I look forward, as ever, to your next contribution to our project.

S.

__FORCETOC__