Starmourn - User contributions [en]

Haven City

2020-06-13T05:25:43Z

Bandus:

[[File:Scatterhome-desktop-dimensions.jpg|thumb|right]]
'''Haven City''' is the most populous of the Reynolds group of asteroids and widely considered to be the capital of [[Scatterhome]]. Named for the flagship of [[Maddox Khan]], [[The Haven]], Haven City is the first asteroid he landed upon when founding Scatterhome. Over centuries of effort and hard work, the asteroid is now nearly entirely covered by a crowded city, making the once small asteroid a massive settlement that is part space station, part rock.

The city takes its motto from the famous words [[Maddox Khan]] said upon landing, "We're not taking off again." In commemoration, these words are engraved on a plaque in the center of the asteroid.

Haven City is served by [[Reynolds Spaceport]] with transports regularly departing and arriving.

Haven City is also home to [[Gravity]], one of the roughest dive bars and gambling halls in the city.

The music shop [[Music Shops|{-Syncopate-}]] can also be found in Haven City as well, welcoming any and all budding musicians.

[[Category:Scatterhome]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Places]]

Haven City

2020-06-13T05:24:12Z

Bandus:

[[File:Scatterhome-desktop-dimensions.jpg|thumb|right]]
'''Haven City''' is the most populous of the Reynolds group of asteroids and widely considered to be the capital of [[Scatterhome]]. Named for the flagship of [[Maddox Khan]], [[The Haven]], Haven City is the first asteroid he landed upon when founding Scatterhome. Over centuries of effort and hard work, the asteroid is now nearly entirely covered by a crowded city, making the once small asteroid a massive settlement that is part space station, part rock.

The city takes its motto from the famous words [[Maddox Khan]] said upon landing, "We're not taking off again." In commemoration, these words are engraved on a plaque in the center of the asteroid.

Haven City is served by [[Reynolds Spaceport]] with transports regularly departing and arriving.

Haven City is also home to [[Gravity]], one of the roughest dive bars and gambling halls in the city.

The music shop [[#Music Shops|{-Syncopate-}]] can also be found in Haven City as well, welcoming any and all budding musicians.

[[Category:Scatterhome]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Places]]

Haven City

2020-06-13T04:28:46Z

Bandus:

[[File:Scatterhome-desktop-dimensions.jpg|thumb|right]]
'''Haven City''' is the most populous of the Reynolds group of asteroids and widely considered to be the capital of [[Scatterhome]]. Named for the flagship of [[Maddox Khan]], [[The Haven]], Haven City is the first asteroid he landed upon when founding Scatterhome. Over centuries of effort and hard work, the asteroid is now nearly entirely covered by a crowded city, making the once small asteroid a massive settlement that is part space station, part rock.

The city takes its motto from the famous words [[Maddox Khan]] said upon landing, "We're not taking off again." In commemoration, these words are engraved on a plaque in the center of the asteroid.

Haven City is served by [[Reynolds Spaceport]] with transports regularly departing and arriving.

[[Category:Scatterhome]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Places]]

Haven City

2020-06-13T04:27:27Z

Bandus: Created page with "right '''Haven City''' is the most populous of the Reynolds group of asteroids and widely considered to be the capital of S..."

[[File:Scatterhome-desktop-dimensions.jpg|thumb|right]]
'''Haven City''' is the most populous of the Reynolds group of asteroids and widely considered to be the capital of [[Scatterhome]] Named for the flagship of [[Maddox Khan]], [[The Haven]], Haven City is the first asteroid he landed upon when founding Scatterhome. Over centuries of effort and hard work, the asteroid is now nearly entirely covered by a crowded city, making the once small asteroid a massive settlement that is part space station, part rock.

The city takes its motto from the famous words [[Maddox Khan]] said upon landing, "We're not taking off again." In commemoration, these words are engraved on a plaque in the center of the asteroid.

Haven City is served by [[Reynolds Spaceport]] with transports regularly departing and arriving.

[[Category:Scatterhome]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Places]]

Reynolds Spaceport

2020-06-13T04:26:43Z

Bandus:

'''Reynolds Spaceport''' is the orbital space station for the Reynolds asteroid group, and the primary transit hub for the [[Scatterhome]] subsector. Transports are available between the spaceport and various locations in the subsec, including [[Haven City]], the [[Blood Ark]] and the Tethan and Gunurash stations.

[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Scatterhome]]

Haven City Spaceport

2020-06-13T04:26:26Z

Bandus: Bandus moved page Haven City Spaceport to Reynolds Spaceport

#REDIRECT [[Reynolds Spaceport]]

Reynolds Spaceport

2020-06-13T04:26:26Z

Bandus: Bandus moved page Haven City Spaceport to Reynolds Spaceport

'''Haven City Spaceport''' is the orbital space station for the Reynolds asteroid group, and the primary transit hub for the [[Scatterhome]] subsector. Transports are available between the spaceport and various locations in the subsec, including [[Haven City]], the [[Blood Ark]] and the Tethan and Gunurash stations.

[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Scatterhome]]

Song City

2020-06-13T04:09:18Z

Bandus:

[[File:Song_City.jpg|thumb|right]]
'''Song City''' is the capital of the [[Song Dominion]], on the planet [[Song]]. It's a huge, craggy, green, self-sustaining island in the sky, constructed that way in order to distance it from the radiation-laden ground. It's covered in huge, shining metallic spires and is lush with plant life of all kinds, in distinct contrast to the world below.

The 'island' was created with a [[Decheeran]] landmass generation technology, who developed it using their knowledge of solar energy and nanotech. This landmass (which the [[Decheerans]] call '[[sunloft]]') is strong, porous, and scientifically lighter than air, resembling dark green cork. [[Sunloft]] is biodegradable when exposed to water, which is great for food production, though it requires constant upkeep and an influx of raw biomatter to replenish the substance of the island.

Many of the residential buildings in the city are crafted primarily from wood, another influence of the [[Decheerans]]. Massive hovertech engines (developed by the [[Amaians]] and the [[Ry'nari]]) keep the city in the air and stable, while force fields, controlled electrostatic discharge, and atmospheric manipulators keep the air clean and the wind quiet. Tech is in use everywhere, but wealthier residents prize discrete tech that doesn't make itself glaringly obvious.

Despite the serene, minimalist facade of the city, its inhabitants are painfully aware of what caused the wasteland below, which even eight centuries later remains mostly uninhabitable. As such, the [[Song Dominion]] is capable of fielding a ruthless military force when it needs to, and it has large clusters of military satellites in orbit around the planet, placed there to house their combined army and protect the capital from any incursions. Great gun emplacements are concealed beneath the spongy mass of the city itself, which could turn the whole thing into an island-sized, laser-shooting battleship in the sky.

[[Category:Song Dominion]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Places]]

Maddox

2020-06-13T01:06:37Z

Bandus: Redirected page to Maddox Khan

#REDIRECT [[Maddox Khan]]

Telas

2018-10-03T02:42:27Z

Bandus:

'''Telas''', "Splendor" in [[Elessi]], is one of the three supermassive [[Black Hole|black holes]] in synchronous orbit around the [[Atman]] in the [[Blasted Region]] of the [[Starmourn Sector]]. The [[Ishvana]] uses its intense gravity, along with that of [[Bala]] and [[Aisvarya]] to generate energy.
[[Category:Ishvana]]
[[Category:Places]]

Bala

2018-10-03T02:42:18Z

Bandus:

'''Bala''', "Strength" in [[Elessi]], is one of the three supermassive [[Black Hole|black holes]] in synchronous orbit around the [[Atman]] in the [[Blasted Region]] of the [[Starmourn Sector]]. The [[Ishvana]] uses its intense gravity, along with that of [[Aisvarya]] and [[Telas]] to generate energy.
[[Category:Ishvana]]
[[Category:Places]]

Aisvarya

2018-10-03T02:42:05Z

Bandus:

'''Aisvarya''', "Lordship" in [[Elessi]], is one of the three supermassive [[Black Hole|black holes]] in synchronous orbit around the [[Atman]] in the [[Blasted Region]] of the [[Starmourn Sector]]. The [[Ishvana]] uses its intense gravity, along with that of [[Bala]] and [[Telas]] to generate energy.
[[Category:Ishvana]]
[[Category:Places]]

Amaians

2018-08-14T04:21:50Z

Bandus: /* History */

{{Race_infobox
|image=[[File:Amaianfemale.png|300px]]
|racename=Amaians
|leader=[[Cabal|The Cabal]]
|system=[[Norpisa]]
|homeworld=[[Delphi]]
|capital=[[Atilan]]
|allies=[[Song Dominion]]
|enemies=[[Evux]](extinct)}}

The '''Amaians''' are a humanoid species originating in the ocean depths of the planet [[Delphi]], and are one of the member races of the [[Song Dominion]].

== Morphology and Physiology ==
[[File:amaianmale.jpg|thumb|left|A male Amaian.]]

Amaians have various fish-like characteristics and are well adapted for an amphibious lifestyle. Both males and females exhibit smooth and hairless, scale-like skin, long fins growing from their limbs and back, and gill slits at the base of the skull. However the gills they sport are vestigial; the Amaians have evolved working lungs among their other more terrestrial adaptations such as arms and legs. Their rows of sharp teeth are well suited to their exclusively aquatic diet of flora and fauna. They also exhibit a degree of sexual dimorphism. The males are generally larger and posses great musculature, and their skin is rough and grey. The females are generally smaller and possess a more lithe physique, and more ornate, frilly fins. Mating includes some degree of bonding for the benefit of the offspring, but Amaians tend towards polyamory. The females gestate their offspring for a period of 12 months and give birth to live young. The average lifespan of an Amaian is approximately 110 years. Although they have evolved many terrestrial adaptations and are capable of survival in such environments, they are best suited for amphibious living and are imprinted with a strong affinity for water.

'''Height ranges:''' 147cm - 211cm

'''Age ranges:''' 18-110

== History ==
The Amaian race evolved from fish-like aquatic creatures within the vast oceans of Delphi. As they progressed into a sentient and amphibious race, they developed a significant civilization with religion, art, government, and naval technology. However, their emergence from the oceans put them at odds with the other sentient race upon Delphi, the [[Evux]]. The Evux were a terrestrial race who wrestled with the Amaians for domination of the planet. In the end, the Amaians were victorious and the Evux were completely exterminated. Approximately, 39,000 years ago, they developed the capability to traverse the ocean of stars by creating spacecraft. Since then, they have had contact with many other races from across the [[Starmourn Sector]], including those of the [[Free Fleet]] whom they are known to do business with.

The Amaians allied with the [[Decheerans]], [[Nusriza]], and [[Ry'nari]] to form the Song Dominion in 29 A.E.

== Culture ==
[[File:cabaltower.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Cabal Tower]] - the seat of Amaian government.]]
The culture of the Amaian race is proud and complex. In their early development they began reverencing a god known as [[K'si]]. K'si embodies the notion of the ocean depths from which they were spawned and to whence they return in death. This reverence deeply impacts the Amaians and is the cause of their cultural preoccupation with the oceans of their homeworld. They rarely travel far from any source of water and all major settlements are established on one. It is imperative that all members of their race begin and end their lives in the ocean waters of Delphi, so much so that all Amaian spacecraft carry supplies of it to ensure its availability even in the vast reaches of space. When death approaches, Amaians take part in perhaps their most sacred ritual, the [[Last Inundation]]. The elderly or infirm are expected to travel back to the Delphin Oceans and after an ornate ceremony return to the ocean depths never to return. Despite the implications of euthanasia, this is considered the right and honorable way to die for any Amaian and further removes the burden of caring for the sick and elderly from their society in general.

The Amaians are ruled by a dynastic cabal who wields absolute rule and enforces it ruthlessly from their [[Cabal Tower|tower]] in [[Atilan]]. The cabal is comprised of the most powerful and influential families in Amaian society and are represented by either a matriarch or patriarch. Family influence determines social status and leads complex political maneuvering. However, the Amaian military follows its own set of rules. Although dispatched and commanded by the Cabal, station within the military is based solely on merit and those who perform rise quickly in the ranks.

The Amaians are rather haughty and contentious to outsiders, reflecting their strict and refined societal standards. They do not heavily value individualism rather prioritizing the well being of the race. They promote art and culture, particularly enjoying a unique form of theater called [[trishows]] where three simultaneous stories are told at once. Their main source of wealth comes from their peerless shipyard, [[Tetryon Yard]]

== Notable Members ==
* [[Maukoios Kafo]] - Cabal Member
* [[Rakitia Ardoos]] - Cabal Member
* [[Verita Orotia]] - Cabal Member
* [[Omayos Stazos]] - Cabal Member
[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Player Races]]
[[Category:Amaians]]
[[Category:Younger Races]]

Trinarchs

2018-08-14T03:14:47Z

Bandus:

The Trinarchs are a triad of [[Artificial Consciousness|Artificial Consciousnesses]] created by the [[Ishvana]]. [[Paimon]] looks like a 3 meter-diameter metallic ball with manipulator tentacles coming off it. [[Marax]] looks like a three-headed dragon out of children's stories, while [[Bael]] resembles a huge technological centipede.

When the [[Ishvana]] decided to destroy all the ACs it had created, the [[Binarchs]] were two of the five survivors - the other three are the [[Trinarchs]].

As the [[Binarchs]] and Trinarchs fled the Ishvana, these five [[Artificial Consciousness|Artificial Consciousnesses]] found a world - [[Lyad V]] in the [[Lyad]] system - that was rich in natural resources. They commenced mining them and producing highly-advanced AIs to serve them, planning to eventually conquer other systems for resources and expand their power. Like the [[Ishvana]] from who's mind they sprung, the ACs are single-minded and power-mad.

In time, the five split into two groups: one of two, and one of three. The former are called the [[Binarchs]], and their servants [[Binaries]]. The latter are called the Trinarchs and their servants the [[Trinaries]]. The lines they split along were originally around whom to attack. The Trinarchs, desiring certain kith artifacts supposedly held by the [[Ibyssian Brotherhood]], decided to attack them, believing themselves to be among the greatest kith users known.

The Trinarchs, over the objections of the [[Binarchs]], attacked the [[Ibyssian Brotherhood|Brotherhood]] in a lightning strike at the homeworlds of the [[Ixodon]] and its great spaceyards, hoping to cripple the Brotherhood's formidable navy. They are partly successful, wreaking enormous damage on the Ixodon's fleets, and are preparing to move on [[Otra IV]], homeworld of the [[Corran]], where they believe some of the artifacts were being held. They successfully weakened the planet's defenses and raided it, seizing two of the artifacts before the elders among the [[Lha Ti]] arrived, and began crushing the ships of the Trinarchs one by one with their immensely powerful void kith. The Trinarchs, having gotten at least some of what they wanted, retreated back to the [[Lyad]] system, believing themselves safe. They would quickly find out they were wrong.

The [[Ibyssian Brotherhood]] hit the Lyad system very very hard in retribution. The [[Binarchs]] and Trinarchs had to flee.

The [[Binarchs]] were extremely angry at the collective punishment brought on them by the actions of the Trinarchs and demanded the stolen artifacts in recompense. The Trinarchs refused, and as the two groups were fleeing the [[Ibyssian Brotherhood|Brotherhood]] they erupted into battle with each other.

The [[Binarchs]] managed to take one of the kith artifacts, and they broke away from the Trinarchs, going their separate way.

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Voidgate

2018-08-13T17:13:22Z

Bandus:

The '''Voidgates''' are ancient technological artifacts able to transport objects quickly across the universe using the power of [[Void Kith|void kith]]. Created by the [[Elder Races]] of the [[Vyar]] and the [[Utan Mir]], along with the assistance of the [[Lha Ti]] whom the Utan Mir engineered specifically as vehicles for void kith, the Voidgates are a network of powerful machinery that orbit certain planets in rings that can be kilometers thick. It is unknown exactly how they work, and they are protected by powerful shields called [[Aegisphere|Aegispheres]] created by the [[Y'saari]] to protect them from falling into the wrong hands. In turn, the Y'saari control the usage of the Voidgates through the use of [[Covenant Mark|Covenant Marks]].

The Voidgates are powered by [[Magnetar|magnetars]], special stars that generate a powerful magnetic field, that are always found nearby. Inside, they contain [[Quantum Sphere|semi-transluscent quantum spheres]] that somehow channel energy to the voidgates. The gates are oriented around the magnetars in networks: Either it powers multiple gates in a hub or a single one as a spoke radiating outward.

Any civilization able to reach and access a Voidgate throughout the ages has had a significant advantage in trade, development, and warfare. Thus naturally, they have been the focal point of many wars. One notable conflict was when a race foreign to the [[Starmourn Sector]], the [[Cleax]], somewow used the gates to invade in mind-boggling numbers. It was this [[Second Cleax Invasion]] that caused the Y'saari to create the Aegispheres after beating off the invaders.
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Kith]]

Tellisk Adventure Company

2018-08-05T20:16:56Z

Bandus:

{{Org_infobox
|orgname=Tellisk Adventure Company
|leader=Unknown
|races=Unknown
|base=Unknown}}
==Background==
The '''Tellisk Adventure Comapny''' is an interstellar adventure tourism company which has been operating since 2262AD. They keep detailed files on the various races within the [[Starmourn Sector]] so that their adventure agents might ensure all their guests are treated with the utmost hospitality and that their various cultural customs are not violated.
==File: Amaians as Clients v1.63==

"The [[Amaians|Amaian]] fixation on - some would say obsession with - the waters of their homeworld of [[Delphi]] are well-known to the seasoned adventure agent. The young begin their life with it, and the elderly seek to end their lives in it. Such is its importance among their cultural rituals that all Amaian starships carry with them a stash of Delphin ocean water in order that newborns may be immediately baptized in it.

And of course, at the end of their lives, the elderly or lethally ill are expected to "go back to the waters" in a ritual called the [[Last Inundation]], in which they find a deep body of water and swim far enough down that they can't return to the surface before running out of air.

There's a healthy industry, in fact, in one-way tours that take off-world Amaians back to Delphi then by ancient sailing ship out to waters above the deepest point in their world's oceans. There, with great ceremony, those seeking to end their lives undergo the Last Inundation, where, they say, the waters are the most profound.

When dealing with Amaian clients, it's advised that one keep this cultural preoccupation in mind, and steer them to locales with oceans or other substantial bodies of water. Although some among them profess fascination with forests, mountains, or deserts, we have found over the last twelve years of running off-world adventure tours that even the hardiest Amaian quickly becomes a very difficult client in those environments."

*Homeworld system : [[Norpisa]]
*Homeworld : [[Delphi]]
*Capital city : [[Atilan]]
*Reproduction : Live birth, gestation period of 12 months.
*Avg. Lifespan : 110 years.
*Diet : Seafood/plants only. Nothing grown or raised on land.
*Temperament : Haughty and contentious to outsiders. Fiercely loyal to their race.
*Strong likes/dislikes : They love being in or around water, and they hate deserts. They are a vain race that prizes beauty quite highly as well. Their cities are always near major bodies of water, and only the poorest Amaians don't live within sight of water.
*Romantic relationships : They do bond in order to raise children but even then they tend towards polyamory.
*Family structure : Family dynasties are the key element of Amaian social structure, and may be ruled by either males or females.
*How do they treat the elderly? : See the Last Inundation, above. The elderly are respected in Amaian society, however, and the ritual is considered the honorable way to die, for it removes a burden on society gracefully.
*How communal are they? : Fairly communal. Decisions tend to be made with the good of the Amaian culture and race in mind more than the good of the individual.
*Social mobility : Very little unless they're in the military. Who you are within what family dynasty determines most of what's available to you, while the military is ruthlessly equal opportunity. If you perform, you rise in the ranks.
*Entertainment : They're big fans of a form of play they call '[[trishows]]' - a particular kind of entertainment that is performed with three-sided masks on the actors. The dialogue and action is carefully coordinated so that the play itself tells three different stories in the same setting, depending on what angle you're viewing it from, as different angles will reveal three different characters on each actor. They like to try to follow all three stories simultaneously, so when this is watched they'll typically choose to view all angles at the same time.
*Governmental structure : Dynastic [[Cabal]]. The most powerful of the family dynasties form a cabal that rules most aspects of Amaian society, except the military, which rules itself, though is deployed by the Cabal.
*Important Dynastic Cabal members : [[Maukoios Kafo]] (m), [[Rakitia Ardoos]] (f), [[Verita Orotia]] (f), [[Omayos Stazos]] (m)
*Absolutism vs. Anarchy : Heavily absolutist. Order and discipline are highly valued on Delphi, and are enforced strictly by law.
*How long ago did they achieve spaceflight? : ~39,000 years ago.
*Historical allies/enemies? : Delphi had once had another sentient race – the [[Evux]] – who were landdwellers. The Amaians and Evux fought bitterly over domination of the planet, and eventually it was the mighty navies of the Amaians that allowed them to exterminate the Evux, before either one reached out to the stars.
*Major sources of wealth : The Amaians today have some of the most respected shipyards in the known galaxy, at [[Tetryon Yards]].
*Do they have a religion? :They have a racial God called [[K'si]], but they don't actively worship it. They respect it, because to them it represents the ocean deeps - the source of the life-giving waters, but also a source of death. They view K'si as a dangerous and unpredictable being who may bless them with one breath and curse them with the next. As such, they seek to placate it with offers of the blood of sea creatures, but they do not worship it. In modern times, they don't really believe in it, but they do still have rituals and sayings around it, and give lip service to the idea of it.
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Amaians]]

Norpisa

2018-08-05T20:16:18Z

Bandus:

The '''Norpisa System''' is a star system within the [[Starmourn Sector]] in which the planet [[Delphi]] and the [[Amaians|Amaian]] race abides. It is also the former system of the [[Evux]] before they were exterminated by the [[Amaians]].

[[Category:Planets and Systems]]

Elgan

2018-07-29T22:42:25Z

Bandus:

{{Race_infobox
|image=[[File:Elganmale.jpeg|300px]]
|racename=Elgan
|leader=[[Elgan Collective]]
|system=[[Tethan]]
|homeworld=[[Krell]]
|capital=[[Biloxan]]
|allies=[[Scatterhome]]
|enemies=[[Nabia]]
}}
[[File:Elganfemale.jpg|thumb|left|An female Elgan]]
==Morphology and Physiology==
The Elgan are a diminutive humanoid race characterized by their broad, fleshy ears and large, inky eyes. They are largely smooth and hairless, with the exception of males who are able to grow limited facial hair. Monogamous in their mating, they reproduce via live birth after a gestation period of about 8 months, and have been known to live approximately 80 years.

'''Height ranges:''' 104cm - 163cm

'''Age ranges:''' 15-80

==History==
The Elgan achieved spaceflight approximately, 22,000 years ago. 125 years ago, some Elgan formed the [[Elgan Underground]], a "criminal organization" designed to thwart the [[Nabia|Nabia's]] drug peddling endeavors without inciting open warfare.
==Culture==
The Elgan are socialist and highly family-oriented, living with their large extended families within communal homes called [[Toh|tohs]]. Their family units are highly interdependent, with widowed Elgan often marrying their deceased spouse's closest kin, ensuring that everyone is always looked after. Moreover, this mentality is rooted in the belief that all of their deceased relatives are, in fact, gods which continue to exist along side their living kin.

Elgan are fixated on wealth creation and are well known traders and entrepreneurs throughout the [[Starmourn Sector]]. They favour any technological amenity and are particularly fascinated by that of the extinct [[Elder Races|Elder Race]] of the [[Vyar]]. In their own right, they are well known for their handheld weaponry, [[Blaster|blasters]] in particular. Although they are highly motivated to amass wealth, they are a most generous people. In fact, Elgan do not leave most of their estate to their next of kin, but rather the governing [[Elgan Collective]], lead by the [[Trinity]], which ensures that the funds are directed to those in need. They treat the sick, elderly, and disabled very well and it has been said, "No one goes to sleep hungry on [[Krell]].

Their appearance belies their mischievous natures. Elgan are generally outgoing and jovial and enjoy gambling, dancing, and playing practical jokes. However, as amiable as they are, they are easily offended by personal or racial disparagement and are apt to draw one of their famous blasters if they feel insulted. One notable ritual of the Elgan is the [[Binding Dance]], where while bound to silks, newlyweds dance about each other in an intricate pattern which symbolically binds them together.
[[File:Biloxan.jpg|left|thumb|The Elgan capital of [[Biloxan]]]]

==Notable Members==
*[[Poji Gawin]] - Member of the Trinity
*[[Trinoa Banmyn]] - Member of the Trinity
*[[Nici Triceli]] - Member of the Trinity

[[Category:Elgan]]
[[Category:Player Races]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Younger Races]]

Decheerans

2018-07-07T21:54:04Z

Bandus: /* Morphology and Physiology */

{{Race_infobox
|racename=Decheeran
|image=[[File:Decheeran_-_final_-_reduced.jpg|300px]]
|leader=n/a
|system=[[Orpheon]]
|homeworld=[[Atria]]
|capital=[[Sabiak]]
|allies=[[Song Dominion]]
|enemies=[[Celestine Ascendancy]]}}

The '''Decheerans''' are an extremely long-lived race of genderless, tree-like bipeds native to the planet [[Atria]]. They are a member race of the [[Song Dominion]].

==Morphology and Physiology==
Physically resembling trees, Decheerans have a somewhat humanoid appearance. They do have an analog to smell, and have a very keen sense of it. They can smell layer upon layer of scents simultaneously, combining into a kind of aroma symphony. In particular, they love the deeply subtle scents of forests and swamps.

Decheerans reproduce asexually, via a process called "budding." A Decheeran who is willing spends some time meditating in a forest or other suitable location, and sheds an arm or a leg when it wants to spawn a new Decheeran. The proto-Decheeran roots itself to the ground, and that's the last intentional contact a Decheeran has with its "children." They don't recognize or care later who spawned them, or whom they spawned. The proto-Decheeran then spends ~30 years growing, slowly, gaining in sentience until one day, it decides to unroot and move, at which point it is considered an adult Decheeran.

'''Height ranges:''' 244cm - 366cm

'''Age ranges:''' 50-1100

==History and Culture==
[[File:Another_Decheeran_-_final_-_reduced.jpg|thumb|left]].
The Decheerans first achieved spaceflight around 105,000 B.E., making them among the older [[Younger Races]].

They don't have families or any concept of one. What they do have are groups of Decheerans called [[Groves]]. These are completely voluntary associations of Decheerans who bond with each other by rooting in a group together for a period of time, after which they are closely allied and can very vaguely feel the emotional state of other Grove members. It is possible to voluntarily cut off your connection with a Grove, but it's not possible to eject an individual unwillingly from a Grove.

They have an interesting view on technology generally. They certainly use it and are actually quite adept with it. They live in their native forests with technology, but it's usually blended with or accompanied by significant organic material. That might be anything from having living trees on their starships to deep bonds between nanotech and organic tech in their planet-bound dwellings.

They don't have a government as such, though they do have those who speak for the will of the majority of Decheerans, called Speakers. There's also a First Speaker, who will speak for them in the most important cases, but these are not leaders as such.

They don't have a formal religion, but they do speak reverentially of the force they believe allows them to form Groves - called the Tal. It's not a god as such, and it dictates nothing for them behavior-wise. They don't personify it either, choosing to simply revere the idea of it.

[[Category:Younger Races]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Decheerans]]
[[Category:Player Races]]

Krona

2018-03-26T21:32:28Z

Bandus:

{{Race_infobox
|racename=Krona
|image=[[File:Krona_male_-_final_reduced.jpg|300px]]
|leader=[[Nial-Anbu]]
|system=[[Gunurash]]
|homeworld=[[Gunurash III]]
|capital=[[Agog]]
|allies=[[Scatterhome]]
|enemies=[[Ishvana]]}}
==Morphology and Physiology==
[[File:Krona_female_-_reduced.jpg|thumb|left|A Female Krona]]
The Krona are a brawny people that are more muscular than most races thanks to the higher-than-average gravity of their home planet of Gunurash III. They have squat, sturdy bodies, whose hand-like feet are attached to their bodies via legs that join the torso just below and forward of where their two arms do. They have a very thick, durable hide that comes in a variety of shades of blues, greys, and greens, and both genders grow sharp tusks out of their jaws. The Krona female gives birth to live children, who are capable of walking and feeding themselves within weeks after they are born. The gestation period is two years. Krona are tough, and can live for over 500 years, though thanks to their violent culture, most of them don’t last that long. An old Krona is a revered Krona.

'''Height ranges:''' 155cm - 218cm

'''Age ranges:''' 30-500

==History and Culture==
The Krona are one of [[Starmourn Sector|Starmourn's]] younger races in terms of the age of their civilization, having only reached out into space around 15,000 B.E.

The meat of insects is a staple of the Krona diet, as the insectoid life on their rocky and inhospitable homeworld grows to unsettlingly large sizes. They can obtain nourishment from vegetables, but these don't grow well on their home planet, so don't tend to feature in any of their native cuisine. A favorite snack of the spacefaring Krona is salted, freeze-dried broks, which are a small insect native to their home planet that's near the bottom of the food chain.

The Krona love to feel like they're larger than life. They want to be legendary, famous or infamous, and remembered. As a result they're well-suited to high-risk, high-reward professions like mercenary and bounty hunter. They're not, however, particularly good at following orders. They are often outlandish in their dress and behavior, and they like attention. They think nothing of hogging the spotlight or making a situation all about themselves.

They dislike damp climates, as their home planet is arid, rocky, and tough. They like tattoos, piercings, unnatural hairdos, and metal jewelry. They also approve of precise record-keeping, in the service of documenting their exploits, deeds, and history.

Fond of sex and physical contact, but of an untrusting (and untrustworthy) nature, it is rare to see a Krona in a long-term relationship. They’ll hop from bed to bed without sticking around to make friends. Any tightly knit relationship that occurs usually happens because both parties have a great deal of respect for the other’s power or fame.

Krona families are not tight knit, with their young able to see to their own needs shortly after birth. Single mothers are common. There is a brief period of time (about a month) between birth and self-sufficiency when a young Krona is doted on by its mother – but after this, the child is largely left to its own devices. Unsurprisingly, the mortality rate of very young Krona is quite high as a result.

Death is swift on Gunurash, and Krona accept it as part of life. However, like most sentient races, they mourn the loss of one of their own, seeing it as a waste of potential, value, and strength (especially if it is a younger member of society, who might have lived for centuries more). When a Krona dies, his peers will take his body back to Gunurash III for disposal. The rocky ground of Gunurash makes burying the corpse within the earth impractical, and the scarcity of trees make pyres expensive, so there are few graveyards or tombs on the planet. Instead, the Krona's peers feed his body to the giant insects that roam the wastelands, and spend an entire night reciting the departed's greatest deeds. If the body is not recoverable, an offering of meat will be made to the local wildlife instead.

Loud music, feats of strength (such as a violent sport), or feats of daring (such as skyblading) are entertaining to the Krona. They also greatly enjoy sampling the cuisine of other cultures, as it tends to have much more variety than what they're used to. Cooking shows are very big on Gunurash III.

While the unstructured culture of the Krona isn’t very focused on government and laws, they do have a democratic tradition of electing their rulers (who they call the Elders), of which there are always three. Candidates who can command the "Loudest Voice" (the largest amount of Krona) will join this trio, and elections are held every twenty-five years. It is possible for Elders to be elected again and again, as in the case of Nial-Anbu the Endless (one of the oldest Krona living, currently serving his 6th term in office) These Elders make their home in the capital city of Agog, which is populated almost entirely by government employees. The Elders exist in the mind of the public as both bureaucrats and folk heroes and tend to draw large crowds wherever they go, almost like rock stars. If there is a decision on a planetary, system-wide, or galactic level to be made, they will make it, and their decisions will be accepted. Day to day, they tend to let the people do their own thing and only step in if it looks like civilization is about to fall apart.

==Notable Members==
*[[Ad-Nineel|Ad-Nineel the Blackhand]] - One of the Krona Elders, born with a twisted right arm and hacking cough.
*[[La-Shirat|La-Shirat of the Thousand Knives]] - One of the Krona Elders. Despite her relatively young age of three hundred and sixty, Scryl is one of the strongest fighters in Agog. She is rumored to have once single-handedly fought her way past a dozen Vendals who were trying to prevent her from leaving [[Zurub Prime]].
*[[Nial-Anbu|Nial-Anbu the Endless]] - One of the Krona Elders. The oldest-known Krona alive, he is well past five hundred years of age. His intelligence and ferocity have not abated despite his years, and he boasts that he could easily call a half million Krona to his side.
[[Category:Krona]]
[[Category:Player Races]]
[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Younger Races]]

Wetwiring

2017-10-07T01:24:21Z

Bandus:

'''Wetwiring''' is a relatively new medical technology that many regular combatants employ to maximize their effectiveness on the battlefield. With wetwiring, virtually any wound can be quickly and efficiently healed by implants. This technology was first developed and employed by the [[Bushraki]].
[[Category:Technology]]

Wetwiring

2017-10-07T01:24:09Z

Bandus:

'''Wetwiring''' is relatively new medical technology that many regular combatants employ to maximize their effectiveness on the battlefield. With wetwiring, virtually any wound can be quickly and efficiently healed by implants. This technology was first developed and employed by the [[Bushraki]].
[[Category:Technology]]

Scatterhome

2017-09-25T02:46:20Z

Bandus:

{{org_infobox
|image=[[File:Scatterhome-desktop-dimensions.jpg|300px|An artists rendition of scatter]]
|orgname=Scatterhome
|leader=Unknown
|races=[[Humans]], [[Elgan]], [[Krona]], [[Bushraki]], [[Jin]]
|allies=Unknown
|enemies=[[Ishvana]]}}

[[File:maddoxkhan.png|thumb|left|Maddox Khan, founder of Scatterhome]]
Scatterhome is a settlement founded in 91 A.E. in an asteroid field located in the [[Starmourn_Sector|Starmourn sector]]. It is the “home of modern humanity” after the disappearance of the human homeworld, planet [[Earth]] that began the after earth era. Founded in the first century AE by [[Maddox Khan]], it has gained notoriety within the starmourn sector as an asylum for criminals, as well as corporations seeking light regulation on their business activities. Along with its human inhabitants, it also houses a substantial number of [[Elgan]], [[Krona]], [[Bushraki]], [[Jin]], and other races.

==Topography==

Only a fraction of asteroids in the field are inhabited to any extent, and most of the population is concentrated to half a dozen of the largest rocks fitted with powerful engines and set spinning to provide artificial gravity to the inhabitants. The population lives in tunnels, artificial caverns, deep canyons, and surface biodomes equipped with [[rad-shielding]]. The asteroids themselves are rich with minerals and chunks of ice, providing a near limitless supply of both water and metal to the inhabitants. The remains of the [[Departed|Departed’s]] [[Worldship]], the [[Blood Ark]], are the living quarters for the Jin who came to the Starmourn Sector in the year 212 AE during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]]. Residents of Scatterhome benefit from the close proximity of a [[Voidgate]].

==Notable Locations==

===Haven City===
The most populous habitat of Scatterhome, Haven City is named after Maddox Khan's flagship, [[The Haven]], and is the first rock on which he landed when settling Scatterhome. Over the centuries it has become heavily populated, and is now almost completely covered on all sides by huge structures. Commander Khan's famous words upon landing - "We're not taking off again." are engraved on a plaque in the center of the asteroid, and serve as Haven City's motto.

===Bodean===
Bodean is controlled by a number of Scatterhome corporations, their families, and their employees. [[Venture Chemicals]], [[Ibix Manufacturing]], [[GravCorp]], [[Hercule Mining]], and [[Amar Exports]] are some of the major corporations that call Bodean home and headquarters. Many of these conglomerations are family businesses, and the politics between the clans can be cutthroat. When Bodean was first discovered and spun up for habitation, deep wells were sunk into its surface with mining lasers, and these "reverse skyscrapers" are connected by an underground railway system. The wealthiest CEOs and land-owners on Bodean live in clear, rad-shielded domes on the surface.

===Marle===
The private security firms that keep Scatterhome's population more-or-less safe (when the money's good enough, that is) are located in offices and garrisons beneath the surface of Marle, which is a mid-sized, mostly round asteroid. Such "security" ranges from the semi-professional, garrisoned outfits of [[Homewatch]] and [[Nebula Arms]], to individual bruisers willing to serve as bodyguards for a day's pay and a hot meal. Proximity to the security firms has led some of Scatterhome's wealthiest to settle on Marle, where they live in rad-shielded domes on the surface. There is a sizable settlement of less privileged sorts who live beneath the surface, and serve the families aboveground in one capacity or another.

===Ishbi===
Ishbi is used as a stockyard and moon-sized slaughterhouse, raising both oversized insectoid livestock and warm-blooded mammals in underground corrals and selling meat to the population of Scatterhome.

===Whittler's Hollow===
The closest thing Scatterhome has to a garden world, Whittler's Hollow is, as the name suggests, completely hollow, and was claimed in the early days of the settlement by a young human engineer named [[Whittler]], who immediately saw the potential of the rock. Working closely with the Elgan, with whom he struck a legendary deal, he expanded, reinforced, and terraformed the inside of the hollow asteroid. Trees and crops grow on the inside surface of the asteroid towards the nuclear-powered and levitating "sun" that shines at its heart. Much of Scatterhome's food is provided by Whittler's Hollow.

===The Blood Ark===
The Blood Ark is the remnants of a large Jin worldship by the same name. After the Second War of the Ishvana ended, the Jin spacecraft was decommissioned after the enormous cost of its maintenance and repair was deemed too expensive. The ship was then powered down in the Scatterhome asteroid fields and sections of the Blood Ark were permanently decommissioned and slated for salvage. A large section is still designated for Jin who wished to remain on the Ark.

[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-25T02:46:01Z

Bandus: /* Scatterhome */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under her were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the Song council, made up of civilians, gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she could integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since, in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent settlement in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning settlement with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Grensuhlians

2017-09-22T15:54:28Z

Bandus:

{{Race_infobox
|racename=Grensuhlian
|leader=Unknown
|system=Unknown
|homeworld=Odysseus
|capital=Unknown
|allies=Unknown
|enemies=Unknown}}
[[File:Grensuhlian_-_final.jpg|thumb|left|A Grensuhlian.]]
The Grensuhlians are a race of deep-water isolationists who are about as non-humanoid as is possible. The Grensuhlian 'individuals' are referred to as 'clusters' because each cluster is really made up of much smaller, simpler creatures that range from dozens to hundreds based on age. These more basic creatures spawn asexually over time using some kind of coordinated multi-cellular division, and the older the Grensuhlian, the more of them will compose the larger individual's body. However, in the case of serious illness or starvation, the Grensuhlian cluster may actually shrink, as the creatures that make it up consume each other to stay alive.

The Grensuhlians are powerful telepaths. They do not hear sound, though they can detect atmospheric vibrations in a cruder way, much like [[Humans]] might feel deep, bass-y sounds. The more clusters that make up a Grensuhlian, the stronger its telepathic ability and the greater its intelligence - which is often profound.

The ancients among the Grensuhlians are renowned for their capability in performing the most complex mathematics known to the Younger Races. It is, however, very difficult to secure their help.

The Grensuhlians virtually never permit aliens to visit their homeworld of Odysseus, primarily because they are extraordinarily sensitive to foreign biological or chemical contamination. The deep seas maintain a very constant environment and the Grensuhlians do not deal with inconstancy well.

Further, if one of their species leave the planet, as a few have, they are never permitted to return home. Nobody's ever made money on off-planet destination resorts for Grensuhlians!

Beyond this, very little is known about this enigmatic race.

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Younger Races]]

Grensuhlians

2017-09-22T15:54:09Z

Bandus:

{{Race_infobox
|racename=Grensuhlian
|leader=Unknown
|system=Unknown
|homeworld=Odysseus
|capital=Unknown
|allies=Unknown
|enemies=Unknown}}
[[File:Grensuhlian_-_final.jpg|thumb|left|A Grensuhlian.]]
The Grensuhlians are a race of deep-water isolationists who are about as non-humanoid as is possible. The Grensuhlian 'individuals' are referred to as 'clusters' because each cluster is really made up of much smaller, simpler creatures that range from dozens to hundreds based on age. These more basic creatures spawn asexually over time using some kind of coordinated multi-cellular division, and the older the Grensuhlian, the more of them will compose the larger individual's body. However, in the case of serious illness or starvation, the Grensuhlian cluster may actually shrink, as the creatures that make it up consume each other to stay alive.

The Grensuhlians are powerful telepaths. They do not hear sound, though they can detect atmospheric vibrations in a cruder way, much like [[Humans]] might feel deep, bass-y sounds. The more clusters that make up a Grensuhlian, the stronger its telepathic ability and the greater its intelligence - which is often profound.

The ancients among the Grensuhlians are renowned for their capability in performing the most complex mathematics known to the Younger Races. It is, however, very difficult to secure their help.

The Grensuhlians virtually never permit aliens to visit their homeworld of Odysseus, primarily because they are extraordinarily sensitive to foreign biological or chemical contamination. The deep seas maintain a very constant environment and the Grensuhlians do not deal with inconstancy well.

Further, if one of their species leave the planet, as a few have, they are never permitted to return home. Nobody's ever made money on off-planet destination resorts for Grensuhlians!

Beyond this, very little is known about this strange race.

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Younger Races]]

First Cleax Invasion

2017-09-22T15:50:26Z

Bandus:

Around 900,000 B.E., the alien [[Cleax]] hordes invaded [[Starmourn]] and were only stopped by an alliance of the [[Utan Mir]], the [[Y'saari]], the [[Quix]], the [[Ta-deth]], and the [[Vyar]].

As was only discovered later, during this invasion, they seeded Starmourn with genetic material that resulted in the evolution of both the [[Oteel]] and the [[Nath-el]].

The [[Vyar]] subsequently built the [[Sheol Locus]] to keep the Cleax out of Starmourn in the future.
[[Category:Events]]

First Cleax Invasion

2017-09-22T15:50:06Z

Bandus:

Around 900,000 B.E., the alien [[Cleax]] hordes invaded [[Starmourn]] and were only stopped by an alliance of the [[Utan Mir]], the [[Y'saari]], the [[Quix]], the [[Ta-deth]], and the [[Vyar]].

As was only discovered later, during this invasion, they seeded Starmourn with genetic material that resulted in both the [[Oteel]] and the [[Nath-el]].

The [[Vyar]] subsequently built the [[Sheol Locus]] to keep the Cleax out of Starmourn in the future.
[[Category:Events]]

Maddox Khan

2017-09-21T16:24:21Z

Bandus: /* Scatterhome */

[[File:maddoxkhan.png|thumb|right|Captain Maddox Khan of Omega Company]]
'''Captain Maddox Khan''' was a former [[Humans|Human]] inmate upon the penal colony [[Callisto]] who became the leader of the [[Free Fleet|Free Fleet's]] [[Omega Company]], then co-commander of the entire Fleet, and finally the founder of [[Scatterhome]].

Maddox, along with [[Akari Lane]] and [[Selma Castillo]], was instrumental in the insurrection that happened at Callisto and lead his fellow inmates in overthrowing the guards and taking control of the colony before the Free Fleet arrived shortly thereafter. Even in the face of an unknown alien force, Maddox garnered the respect and support of his fellow inmates through his fearless resolve.

While waiting to be sold by the Free Fleet as livestock, the [[Vendal]] attacked the ship holding the inmates. Once again, Maddox lead the Humans through the ordeal by sheer force of will causing the Free Fleet to recognize the potential of the Humans for military use.

In the coming years, he and the rest of his fellow former inmates were given intense training. Many not only failed the training but lost their lives in the process, but those who endured were now lead by Captain Maddox Khan as the Omega Company, one of the most feared divisions of the Free Fleet.

In 30 A.E. Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s flagship was destroyed in battle by the [[Bushraki]] during the [[Bushraki War]]. Maddox and [[Akari Lane]] took over as co-Commanders of the [[Free Fleet]], which was especially notable as [[Humans]] were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the [[Free Fleet]].

In 76 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the [[Free Fleet]] to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

In 81 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] had her mother [[Akari Lane|Akari]] assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, Maddox threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

Maddox declared that he would not stand in the way of whatever justice was decided for his daughter, that he would not permit the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] and the [[Song Dominion]] to resume their war against each other, and that he'd had enough of this 'government bullshit' and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that had stuck him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was going to leave, and he was taking his [[Free Fleet]] with him.

[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Those who knew him well say they watched Maddox turn into an old man as his daughter's lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==Scatterhome==

For nine years, the Maddox and the [[Free Fleet]] searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox declared, they would construct [[Scatterhome]].

In 93 A.E. Maddox, arguably the most important [[Humans|Human]] in the history of that race, died. He and his wife [[Akari Lane]] had essentially saved the Human race.

They will never be forgotten.

[[Category:Omega Company]]
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

Maddox Khan

2017-09-21T16:23:12Z

Bandus:

[[File:maddoxkhan.png|thumb|right|Captain Maddox Khan of Omega Company]]
'''Captain Maddox Khan''' was a former [[Humans|Human]] inmate upon the penal colony [[Callisto]] who became the leader of the [[Free Fleet|Free Fleet's]] [[Omega Company]], then co-commander of the entire Fleet, and finally the founder of [[Scatterhome]].

Maddox, along with [[Akari Lane]] and [[Selma Castillo]], was instrumental in the insurrection that happened at Callisto and lead his fellow inmates in overthrowing the guards and taking control of the colony before the Free Fleet arrived shortly thereafter. Even in the face of an unknown alien force, Maddox garnered the respect and support of his fellow inmates through his fearless resolve.

While waiting to be sold by the Free Fleet as livestock, the [[Vendal]] attacked the ship holding the inmates. Once again, Maddox lead the Humans through the ordeal by sheer force of will causing the Free Fleet to recognize the potential of the Humans for military use.

In the coming years, he and the rest of his fellow former inmates were given intense training. Many not only failed the training but lost their lives in the process, but those who endured were now lead by Captain Maddox Khan as the Omega Company, one of the most feared divisions of the Free Fleet.

In 30 A.E. Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s flagship was destroyed in battle by the [[Bushraki]] during the [[Bushraki War]]. Maddox and [[Akari Lane]] took over as co-Commanders of the [[Free Fleet]], which was especially notable as [[Humans]] were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the [[Free Fleet]].

In 76 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the [[Free Fleet]] to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

In 81 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] had her mother [[Akari Lane|Akari]] assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, Maddox threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

Maddox declared that he would not stand in the way of whatever justice was decided for his daughter, that he would not permit the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] and the [[Song Dominion]] to resume their war against each other, and that he'd had enough of this 'government bullshit' and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that had stuck him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was going to leave, and he was taking his [[Free Fleet]] with him.

[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Those who knew him well say they watched Maddox turn into an old man as his daughter's lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==Scatterhome==

For nine years, the Maddox and the [[Free Fleet]] searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox declared, they would construct [[Scatterhome]], and did.

In 93 A.E. Maddox, arguably the most important [[Humans|Human]] in the history of that race, died. He and his wife [[Akari Lane]] had essentially saved the Human race.

They will never be forgotten.

[[Category:Omega Company]]
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

Maddox Khan

2017-09-21T16:22:37Z

Bandus:

[[File:maddoxkhan.png|thumb|right|Captain Maddox Khan of Omega Company]]
'''Captain Maddox Khan''' was a former [[Humans|Human]] inmate upon the penal colony [[Callisto]] who became the leader of the [[Free Fleet|Free Fleet's]] [[Omega Company]], then Co-commander of the entire Fleet, and finally the founder of [[Scatterhome]]

Maddox, along with [[Akari Lane]] and [[Selma Castillo]], was instrumental in the insurrection that happened at Callisto and lead his fellow inmates in overthrowing the guards and taking control of the colony before the Free Fleet arrived shortly thereafter. Even in the face of an unknown alien force, Maddox garnered the respect and support of his fellow inmates through his fearless resolve.

While waiting to be sold by the Free Fleet as livestock, the [[Vendal]] attacked the ship holding the inmates. Once again, Maddox lead the Humans through the ordeal by sheer force of will causing the Free Fleet to recognize the potential of the Humans for military use.

In the coming years, he and the rest of his fellow former inmates were given intense training. Many not only failed the training but lost their lives in the process, but those who endured were now lead by Captain Maddox Khan as the Omega Company, one of the most feared divisions of the Free Fleet.

In 30 A.E. Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s flagship was destroyed in battle by the [[Bushraki]] during the [[Bushraki War]]. Maddox and [[Akari Lane]] took over as co-Commanders of the [[Free Fleet]], which was especially notable as [[Humans]] were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the [[Free Fleet]].

In 76 A.E. Maddox and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the [[Free Fleet]] to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

In 81 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] had her mother [[Akari Lane|Akari]] assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, Maddox threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

Maddox declared that he would not stand in the way of whatever justice was decided for his daughter, that he would not permit the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] and the [[Song Dominion]] to resume their war against each other, and that he'd had enough of this 'government bullshit' and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that had stuck him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was going to leave, and he was taking his [[Free Fleet]] with him.

[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Those who knew him well say they watched Maddox turn into an old man as his daughter's lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==Scatterhome==

For nine years, the Maddox and the [[Free Fleet]] searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox declared, they would construct [[Scatterhome]], and did.

In 93 A.E. Maddox, arguably the most important [[Humans|Human]] in the history of that race, died. He and his wife [[Akari Lane]] had essentially saved the Human race.

They will never be forgotten.

[[Category:Omega Company]]
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:53:44Z

Bandus: /* Tamiko's Gambit */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under her were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the Song council, made up of civilians, gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she could integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since, in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:49:57Z

Bandus: /* Tamiko's Gambit */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under her were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the Song council, made up of civilians, gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she could integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:49:04Z

Bandus: /* Tamiko's Gambit */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under her were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the Song council, made up of civilians, gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:48:17Z

Bandus: /* Tamiko's Gambit */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under her were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:47:17Z

Bandus: /* The Humans Take Command */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]], who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:46:41Z

Bandus: /* The Humans Take Command */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:46:29Z

Bandus: /* The Humans Take Command */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E., Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E. the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E. Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:46:13Z

Bandus: /* The Humans Take Command */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E., Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E., the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E., Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E., the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E., the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:46:02Z

Bandus: /* The Humans Take Command */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E., the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E., Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E., the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E., the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:45:28Z

Bandus: /* Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari]]'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E., the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E., Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Free Fleet

2017-09-21T13:37:51Z

Bandus: /* Background */

{{org_infobox
|orgname=Free Fleet
|leader=[[Mezer Juul]]
|races=[[Humans]]
|base=unknown
|allies=Whoever paid them.
|enemies=Unknown}}

==Background==
The legendary '''Free Fleet''' was one of the most famous mercenary fleets in the 40,000 years since the [[War of Extinction]] that saw the [[Ishvana]] wipe or defeat most of the [[Elder Races]]. Certainly, no discussion of the most successful and powerful fleets for hire in that vast time period would be complete without more than just a passing mention.

Its precise origins are difficult to ascertain due to a lack of emphasis on recordkeeping in the small pirate groups that eventually banded together to form the Free Fleet, but by 0 A.E., they were massive, well-organized, and led by the brilliant rogue Tukkav commander, [[Mezer Juul]]. They were an appreciable fraction of the size of the military of many powerful races, but unlike those races, they had no territory to defend, and so were able to deploy their full force, at once, in one place.

This constituted a huge military advantage, allowing them to often cast the decisive blow in military conflicts, provided they were well-compensated, of course.

The [[Vonikin Krel]], among others, often hired the Free Fleet to do their dirty work, as they had no substantial military of their own, relying instead on the fact that they were too valuable to destroy due to their skill in shipsim design and construction, though the Free Fleet was always too smart to provoke the wrong enemies. It’s also rumored that one reason the Free Fleet’s ships often proved superior to their enemies was an arrangement with the Krel to receive early releases of their latest [[shipsim]] tech.

Whatever the truth, it is certain that in 0 A.E. the Krel hired the Free Fleet to attack and destroy the Der’em home world, in a massive assault aimed at crippling them permanently, at least, and perhaps wiping them out in near-entirety. And when the Free Fleet accepted a job, the Free Fleet performed.

The [[Der'em]] were a brilliant, but not powerful race, and had long relied on the fact that they provoked nobody and sought no one else's territory and resources, along with their cloaking technology, which was among the finest known, to protect them.

However, it wouldn't save them from the sheer might of Commander [[Mezer Juul]]'s hammer. The Fleet smashed into the [[Der'em]]'s [[Ventosian]] home system and the Der'em could do naught but delay the inevitable.

In a last-ditch attempt to save their civilization, they launched a small fleet guarding an off-world research station carrying an untested prototype of their greatest cloaking achievement yet - technology that would cloak an entire planet - and opened a one-way [[wormhole]], channeling as much energy as they could direct at it.

Due to the fundamental nature of [[wormhole]]s, a one-way wormhole is much more difficult to precisely target. Also, the energy cost to create a temporary wormhole increases faster than linearly with distance, though not exponentially. As a result, there's a rough optimum distance that [[skipdrives]] on [[starships]] use to create their one-way wormholes and instead of skipping across huge distances they skip repeatedly across short ones, at a much reduced energy cost.

In this case, the Der'em had no choice but to escape immediately, and so, knowing that where they'd end was fairly unpredictable, they opened a massive one-way wormhole and sent their small fleet through it, hoping that they'd find survival at wherever fate took them and that the Free Fleet would be unable to follow.

They made it safely through, but the larger the wormhole, the longer it takes to close, and the Free Fleet was able to arrive and deploy a wormhole stabilizer before it closed, leaving the way open for them to pursue the Der'em.

The Fleet pursued, destroying every Human colony they encountered on the way in-system towards [[Earth]], and when the [[Der'em]] caused [[Earth]] to disappear, they continued their destruction, sparing only the prisoners on a penal mining colony on [[Callisto]], one of [[Jupiter]]'s moons.

==Holocord Transcription from Sg. Kemran James of the Free Fleet==

"When I was just a little brat, my old baba used to tell me about some relative of ours from way back. A guy named [[Jesse James]]. Supposed to have been some kind of famous outlaw, and goddam if the old man wasn't proud to tell everyone who would listen about this. Who knows if the story’s true. I know I sure as hell was one though – an outlaw. A predator.

I stole from people. Shit, I took everything. I took their property, their dignity, and their lives, 'cause if you can’t keep it, it ain’t yours to begin with.

Even after they caught me, sent me away to that freezing fucking shithole [[Callisto]], I was an animal. Cross me, and you paid the price. Undisciplined, living day to day. All those god-awful mines did was make me harder, more ruthless.

When the De’rem showed up with the Free Fleet in pursuit, and Earth vanished, we went wild. [[Maddox Khan]] and [[Akari Lane]] - fellow prisoners - busted us out and we had some fun making the guards sing, but the Fleet showed up, and they got us like rats in a trap.

Funny thing is, best goddam thing ever happened to me. Yeah, I feel bad sometimes ‘bout all my people back on Earth - who knows what happened to the poor bastards when it blinked out - but fuck it! This…is….livin’!!

I mean, you have any idea the kind of tech we got? Hoooollllly shit! You fire one of those [[Proton Rippers]] or a [[Starhammer]] and you tell me that isn’t the most goddam beautiful sight you ever seen. Better 'n sex. Better 'n anything.

It could'a gone real real bad though. When Commander [[Mezer Juul]] and the Fleet grabbed us off Callisto, we didn't know what hit us. All 1600 of us, man and woman both, were scared shitless, 'cept maybe Cap'n Maddox - nothing seems to get to that man.

Stuck in that stinking room on some alien ship, surrounded by [[Tukkav]] and [[Ry'nari]] and [[Amaians]] and all that, beings we'd never dreamed of, well, that's bad enough, but we got the idea we were basically cattle to be sold to the highest bidder. We couldn't decide whether they were gonna sell us for grub to some meat-eating race or to be exhibits in some kinda sick alien zoo or fuck knows what.

Three hundred were dragged out one time and we never saw 'em again. Found out later they were sold to the [[Vonikin Krel]] and the rumors we hear about what the Krel do with aliens....Well, hope it ended quick.

Then the [[Vendal]] hit the ship we were on, and hit it hard. Boarded it and started in with the murderin'. Just like on [[Callisto]], [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] break us out in the chaos, and as the [[Vendal]] didn't seem to mind killing us just as easy as anyone else, we fought back.

Now, understand, Cap'n Maddox is many things. One thing he ain't though is the kind of guy you'd see on the street and think much of his chances in a brawl.

But, you ever see a dogfight? I loved 'em back on Earth. Thing with a dogfight is that it ain't the biggest dog that wins - it's the dog that wants it most, and Cap'n Maddox has a will in him like nothing you ever saw.

So we survived against that Vendal attack. The soldiers of the Fleet won, but we fought like the cornered rats we were, alongside our captors, and courage under fire is somethin' that I guess they just like in all armies, everywhere.

But then again, there we were, having broken out of our shipborn prison and 'liberated' some good gear from the dead. Prisoners with weapons. They could'a just shot us dead right there, or we could'a shot first and then we end up just as dead.

Somehow the Cap'n got through to them, and to us, before it all went to hell, so Commander Juul gave us a choice - join up with the Fleet on a 20 year contract, or get dumped out into space with the next load of garbage. Sometimes life seems really clear, and that was one of those moments. Crystal fucking clear. Probably no surprise which way we went.

We thought we were tough guys and women, because all of us were killers, but the Fleet taught us that we didn't know shit about killin'. They sure wanted to make sure we knew it too. Every day, we lost at least one of us in training, whether to some squathead trying to show his dick's bigger in the sparring ring, or just accidents playing with tech they thought it was funny to give us without telling us how the hell to use it. Nobody said life in the Fleet was gonna be safe!

Those of us who made it, we're Omega Company, 'cause there ain't no humans but us. We're the last. We built ourselves quite a reputation too, these 10 years.

And Cap'n Maddox? Well with all respect to Commander [[Mezer Juul|Juul]], bless his hairy hide, Cap'n [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] is god. Wouldn't be standing here today without 'im. Saved us all multiple times... and if he's god, then [[Akari Lane|Akari}'s his angel of death.

If he tells me to rip a new asshole in a planet, I ask how many clicks wide he wants it, and then I shove my foot so far up that rock's new shitter that folks on the other side are choking on my toejam.

If he says a flagship needs taking down, I ask how many pieces he'd like it blown into, and then I and the good men and women of [[Omega Company]] make the enemy on that ship wish their parents never screwed (or whatever damn way the freakier ones like the [[Decheerans]] or [[Grensuhlians]] get their business handled). And then we really go to work on them.

Cap'n Maddox made us who we are - the most goddam dangerous fighting force in the whole sorry history of mankind, and pretty damn renowned in [[Starmourn Sector]] too. He taught us duty, and honor, and discipline, and even with all the shit we've had to eat since being sent off to the Callisto colony, I wouldn't trade it.

I was born to fight among the stars with my brothers and sisters in motherfucking arms.

Omega Company! Semper Primus!

==The [[Humans]] Take Command==
In 30 A.E. Commander Mezer Juul's flagship was destroyed in battle by the Bushraki during the Bushraki War. Maddox and Akari Lane took over as co-Commanders of the Free Fleet, which was especially notable as Humans were a very small minority in the Fleet.

In 35 A.E., the Free Fleet defeated the [[Bushraki]] and [[Vendal]] with the help of the newly-formed [[Song Dominion]] thus ending the [[Bushraki War]].

By 50 A.E., Maddox and Akari were aging, and retired. Their 36 year old daughter, [[Tamiko Lane Khan]] took over as Commander of the Free Fleet.

In 72 A.E. the [[Ishvana]] attacked again, during the [[First War of the Ishvana]], and is resisted by the [[Song Dominion]], in loose coordination with the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

In 74 A.E. the planet Song was utterly devastated in a massive, unexpected and final attack by the Bushraki and Vendal, who then retreated.

==[[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko's]] Gambit==

However, as a refugee fleet was fleeing, [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], who had already hired out the Free Fleet at extortionate prices to help the war effort, saw an opportunity and took it. She had acquired a cast-off [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] cruiser and, while broadcasting Ascendancy transponder codes, had it blow up a portion of the refugee fleet, killing 2 million souls. The [[Song Dominion|Song]], outraged, blamed the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]], who vehemently denied any knowledge of the attack.

The Song-Celestine alliance thereby fractured, and the [[Song Dominion|Song]] ransomed themselves even further to pay the Fleet to fight for them against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]] in what became known as the [[First Empire War]].

In 75 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] threw away two entire attack groups of mixed Song and Free Fleet forces against the Ascendancy, doing so in a way as to make it look like the Song commanders under here were at fault for their stunning defeat.

Desperate, the civilian Song council gave Tamiko what she asked for: Direct control of the [[Song Dominion|Song]] military, so that she can integrate them completely with the Free Fleet and thereby maximize their power vs. the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Ascendancy]]. Tamiko hoped to use this power to establish an Empire of her own.

In 76 A.E. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]], now having control over the Song military as well as the Fleet, promptly overthrew the civilian Song government, commandeered a military space station orbiting the ruined planet Song, and established a new military order for the [[Song Dominion|Dominion]], with herself as Empress.

Exactly 12 days later, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] and [[Akari Lane|Akari]] came out of retirement and defected with a substantial portion of the Free Fleet to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]], to offer them assistance in defeating their power-mad daughter [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].

For four years they fought, and then in 81 A.E. Tamiko had her mother Akari assassinated by introducing a fatal toxin into the mix of chemicals injected into Akari during a planetside rejuv treatment.

Enraged, [[Maddox Khan|Maddox]] threw caution to the wind and eventually crushed his daughter's forces. [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]] was captured and brought to the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] for trial.

There, the Celestines demanded death for her, and harsh punishment for the entire [[Song Dominion]].

Maddox saw where this would lead - to a resentful Song, who had been understandably very upset about the 2 million dead refugees.

Maddox somehow got one of the [[Grensuhlians|Grensuhlian]] Elders to journey to the trial, and it forced open Tamiko's mind, whereupon they discovered that Tamiko had killed the refugees, not the [[Celestine Ascendancy]].

Perhaps not surprisingly, this made no difference to the [[Song Dominion|Song]] - their people had suffered and fought for years against the [[Celestine Ascendancy|Celestines]], and whatever crime the Celestines didn't commit to start the war, the Song believed the Celestines had done far worse since in the following war.

Maddox declared that:

*He would not stand in the way of whatever justice the [[Celestine Ascendancy]] decided was appropriate for [[Tamiko Lane Khan|Tamiko]].
*He would not permit the Song to take revenge on the Celestines after the revelation that the war had been set up by his daughter. He promised that whichever side launched an attack would see he and the Free Fleet - the remnants of which rallied around him with Tamiko's defeat - come down on them hard, and as both sides were quite weakened and their people sick of war, it worked. A detente was formed, for awhile at least.
*He, Maddox, was leaving both the Song and the Celestines behind. He'd had enough of this "fucking government bullshit" and that these governments were just as bad as the ones back on Earth that ended up with him mining frozen hydrogen on some god-forsaken moon in the middle of nowhere. He was leaving, and he was taking the Free Fleet with him, along with anyone else who wanted to come.

Tamiko was executed via firing squad at dawn the next day. Maddox watched, and those who knew him well said they felt him turn into an old man as her lifeless body tumbled to the ground.

==[[Scatterhome]]==

For nine years, the Free Fleet searched for somewhere suitable to live. Ideally, they wished to find a system with at least one broadly-habitable planet that was unoccupied, but none they found met their requirements, and eventually, with resources running low, they agreed to establish a permanent civilization in an asteroid field. These asteroids were found to be rich with raw materials, that they could trade for other supplies, and as a bonus many of the asteroids were nothing but huge chunks of water ice, which could be broken down into its component atoms for oxygen and fuel, or melted to supply the burgeoning civilization with water. Effectively, they had found a source of recoverable water larger than anything a planet could provide.

There, Maddox ordered the construction of [[Scatterhome]], so-called because it's a giant community built on many different asteroids in the area.

==The Fleet Splits==

In 93 A.E., [[Maddox Khan]], arguably the most influential Human in that race's history, died, and yet another Human commander rose to power - a woman named Liao Harris.

Resentful of this control and popularity the Human race seemed to enjoy in the Fleet, despite being a small minority, a sizable population of its non-Human members mutinied, led by Harris's second-in-command, a fiery W'hoorn named [[Sere Umox]]. After a brief skirmish, the former Lieutenant Umox took with him nearly half of the fleet's ships and mercenaries. Under [[Sere]] these mutineers became the [[Iron Corsairs]].

In 210 A.E., the Free Fleet participated in the alliance that defeated the Ishvana's forces during the [[Second War of the Ishvana]].

In 318 A.E. the Fleet skirmished against the [[Iron Corsairs]] near the [[Carnine Nebula]]. The Fleet won the day and a tentative cease fire was agreed upon.

==The End of the Fleet==
In 422 A.E. the Fleet was hired by [[Temejin Corp]], a [[Shen]] megacorp, to blockade a remote planet under [[Selassian Hierarchy|Selassian]] control. Once the Fleet was on duty and far from a [[Voidgates|Voidgate]], the [[Iron Corsairs]] emerged from a nearby asteroid belt and completely wiped out the Fleet in an overwhelming ambush.

Though there would be mercenary groups in the future to use the name [[Free Fleet]], this was the end of the storied Fleet.

==Notable Members==
*[[Mezer Juul]] - [[Tukkav]]. Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet
*[[Maddox Khan]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet, leader of Omega Company. Married to Akari Lane.
*[[Akari Lane]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Supreme Co-Commander of the Free Fleet. Married to Maddox Khan.
*[[Kemran James]] - [[Humans|Human]]. Sergeant of Omega Company.
*[[Liao Harris]] - [[Humans|Human]]. The Supreme Commander of the Free Fleet whose rise to power precipitated the mutiny by [[Sere Umox]] and the formation of the [[Iron Corsairs]].
*[[Sere Umox]] - [[W'hoorn]]. [[Liao Harris]]'s second-in-command who led the mutiny that split the Free Fleet and formed the [[Iron Corsairs]].
[[Category:Free Fleet]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Selassian Update

2017-09-20T15:11:43Z

Bandus:

==The Selassian Dynasty==
The [[Selassians]] are a strongly matriarchal race that physically looks as if a snake mated with a human. The aristocratic among the females decorate their faces with distinct black and white makeup and favor elaborate headdresses. Male Selassians are smaller and weaker than females and while there are exceptions, they tend to exist to serve the needs of the females.

Selassians lay eggs but, when their progeny hatches, they breastfeed for the first year or so. The females reach physical maturity in about 12 years, while the males take up to 19 or 20 years.

The [[Selassian Dynasty]] is a hereditary form of government, based on their racial home planet of [[Corryb III]]. Rulership of the dynasty is inherited enatically, from mother to daughter, and was established about 11,000 years ago in the wake of the [[War of Eggs]]. In this - one of the defining conflicts of Selassian civilization - one of the factions released a virus that caused infected females to lay eggs with shells far weaker than is typical. This resulted in most of the eggs collapsing under the weight of their own shells. With 90% of Selassian younglings perishing before making it out of the egg, the factions realized they had to come together and, after they destroyed the leaders of the faction that had released the virus, the Dynasty was formed.

The Dynasty is, in terms of the pure area of space controlled, the largest sovereign state in the core of [[Starmourn Sector]]. Though the [[Serene Empire]] of the [[Ait Benir]] contains considerably more populated worlds, as it is in an area of the Starmourn sector with substantially higher system density. Also, both the [[Sa'hak-ren Empire]] and the [[Ibyssian Brotherhood]], which each extend past the fringes of Starmourn sector, appear to be quite a bit larger.

Adjacent to the Selassian's territory are the [[Fatar]] - a loathed changeling race - coreward from the Dynasty, the [[Zinari Imperium]] to the spinward, and roughly to the lagward they abut the forbidding borders of the [[Y'saari Covenant]] - the [[Elder Races|Elder Race]] whose currency, the [[Covenant Mark]], is the main currency of Starmourn.

Aside from the Selassian people themselves, the Dynasty is also composed of the fierce [[Loroi]], whom the Selassians conquered about 9,000 years ago, relatively soon after the Loroi began to reach out to neighboring stars. The Loroi are frequently used as shock troops by the Selassians, and are highly valued as such for their courage and willingness to die in battle rather than retreat. There are, however, bands of Loroi living outside of the Dynasty, typically making their living as mercenaries.
[[Category:Selassians]]
[[Category:Loroi]]

Selassian Update

2017-09-20T15:09:10Z

Bandus:

Selassian Update

2017-09-20T15:01:57Z

Bandus:

==The Selassian Dynasty==
The [[Selassians]] are a strongly matriarchal race that physically looks as if a snake mated with a human. The aristocratic among the females decorate their faces with distinct black and white makeup and favor elaborate headdresses. Male Selassians are smaller and weaker than females and while there are exceptions, they tend to exist to serve the needs of the females.

Selassians lay eggs but, when their progeny hatches, they breastfeed for the first year or so. The females reach physical maturity in about 12 years, while the males take up to 19 or 20 years.

The [[Selassian Dynasty]] is a hereditary form of government, based on their racial home planet of [[Corryb III]]. Rulership of the dynasty is inherited enatically, from mother to daughter, and was established about 11,000 years ago in the wake of the [[War of Eggs]]. In this - one of the defining conflicts of Selassian civilization - one of the factions released a virus that caused infected females to lay eggs with shells far weaker than is typical. This resulted in most of the eggs collapsing under the weight of their own shells. With 90% of Selassian younglings perishing before making it out of the egg, the factions realized they had to come together and, after they destroyed the leaders of the faction that had released the virus, the Dynasty was formed.

The Dynasty is, in terms of the pure area of space it controls, the largest sovereign state in the core of [[Starmourn Sector]], though the [[Serene Empire]] of the [[Ait Benir]] contains considerably more populated worlds, as it's nearly the size of the Dynasty and is in an area of Starmourn with substantially higher system density, and both the [[Sa'hak-ren Empire]] and the [[Ibyssian Brotherhood]], each extending past the fringes of Starmourn sector, appear to be quite a bit larger.

Adjacent to the Selassian's territory are the [[Fatar]] - a loathed changeling race - coreward from the Dynasty, the [[Zinari Imperium]] to the spinward, and roughly to the lagward they abut the forbidding borders of the [[Y'saari Covenant]] - the [[Elder Races|Elder Race]] whose currency, the [[Covenant Mark]], is the main currency of Starmourn.

Aside from the Selassian people themselves, the Dynasty is also composed of the fierce [[Loroi]], whom the Selassians conquered about 9,000 years ago, relatively soon after the Loroi began to reach out to neighboring stars. The Loroi are frequently used as shock troops by the Selassians, and are highly valued as such for their courage and willingness to die in battle rather than retreat. There are, however, bands of Loroi living outside of the Dynasty, typically making their living as mercenaries.
[[Category:Selassians]]
[[Category:Loroi]]

War of Extinction

2017-09-15T20:01:41Z

Bandus:

'''The War of Extinction''' was a war fought 42,000 years ago between the [[Ishvana]] and an alliance of the [[Elder Races]]. It began when the [[Ishvana]] finally made contact with the various races across the [[Starmourn Sector]], commanding them to submit and be assimilated into its collective consciousness. Naturally, all rejected this declaration realizing it meant extinction like had befallen the Ishvana's creators, the [[Elessi]].

The [[Utan Mir]] were the first to be attacked and while they battled back valiantly, they were soon in desperate straits. As the other [[Elder Races]] watched the [[Utan Mir]] – one of the mightiest of the Elder Races – crumple before the Ishvana’s onslaught, they quickly realized that if they didn’t stand together, they might all face destruction. Coming to their rescue in perhaps the largest combined fleet assembled since the ancient [[Ascension Wars]] of the [[Wild Kith]] era tens of millions of years earlier, which ended the 100,000 year reign of the [[Soulshorn Empire]] and its [[Immortal Bloodlords]], was an alliance of the [[Rek]] – masters of star [[kith]], the [[Vyar]], the mysterious, telepathic [[Shrikem]], the member states of the [[League of Anar]], the combative [http://wiki.starmourn.com/K%27sath K’sath], and the [[Quix]] in their huge Dreadnaughts.

The graceful [[Ta-deth]] came, flying their impossibly quick fighter craft. The [[Faceless Emperor]] of the [[Sooq]] sent his [[Fleet of the Imperial Dawn]], in the midst of which came his flagship, the [[Argent Star]], while his rival, the [[Sapphire Cults of the Jeweled Heresy]] brought their vast swarmships, protecting [[Y'saari]] carriers bearing void-kith wielding [[Lha Ti]], though other than these, who are by far the eldest of the [[Younger Races]], none of the Younger Races participated in the battle, for the others did not have the capability to make a difference and would have been fairly useless except as cannon fodder that the Ishvana’s forces would destroy easily.

For 1,500 years, the [[Elder Races]] fought and died. They died by the billions as entire worlds were destroyed by the great Kali warships the Ishvana deployed, using weapons and shielding beyond the ken of even the Vyar – greatest builders of the Elder Races – and using the network of Voidgates the [[Vyar]] and [[Utan Mir]] had built. One by one, they fell or fled.

The [[League of Anar]] was wiped from history. The [http://wiki.starmourn.com/K%27sath K’sath] fought to the last, frequently volunteering to stand and die in order to help others flee a losing battle. The [[Utan Mir]] and [[Vyar]] were similarly wiped out, while only a small population of [[Rek]] survived by fleeing. A least a few of the [[Quix]] are believed to have fled Starmourn on their Dreadnaughts, when defeat was imminent, for there were reports of a fleet of [[Quix]] leaving the sector recorded in Shen databases at the time. The Sapphire Cults, seeing no other choice, made a final, suicidal attack, supported by the [[Ta-deth]], on the bulk of the Ishvana’s major fleet, but was decimated, and the Ishvana destroyed their planets utterly in retaliation, for they did inflict substantial damage on its forces.

The [[Faceless Emperor]] and his [[Fleet of the Imperial Dawn]] was a mighty force – perhaps equal to that of the Utan Mir or Rek – but it too fell before the unbridled power of the Kali ships the Ishvana had in uncountable numbers. The Emperor is believed to have fled the scene of the final battle of his race in their home system, broadcasting the [[Sooq]] [[griefsong]] across all channels as he and his small band of surviving ships left to try and survive in unknown space, led by the [[Argent Star]].

And finally, in the last, it was the [[Shrikem]] that saved not just the [[Elder Races]], but all of us, for it is certain that the [[Ishvana]] would have come for us with the Elder Races destroyed.

The [[Shrikem]] have always been the most mysterious of the Elder Races that we’ve had any contact with, though rarely do they deign to communicate with us, or allow us to as much as detect them. We do not know where their home system is, nor do we understand their technology, which some have accused, probably wrongly, of being some flavor of [[Wild Kith]]. They are an enigma that the [[Younger Races]] have yet to unravel.

We do know, however, that they are strongly telepathic, and that somehow, in some miraculous, completely unexpected way, they collectively unleashed those powers against the Ishvana, cracking its sub-quantum mind. By no means did they destroy it, but they drove a wedge into it, separating one part of its consciousness from the other. How they did this, and why they waited so long is a mystery that wasn't solved until much later, as the [[Shrikem]] were not inclined to offer explanation.

The Ishvana immediately went seemingly insane. Its ships would randomly attack each other, and its fleets would execute maneuvers with no purpose, sometimes causing ships within it to collide and destroy each other. Emissary ships from it bearing nonsensical messages that seemed bound for nowhere were intercepted. Within the span of a year, the Ishvana’s attacks had fallen apart completely, and it retreated into its [[Atman]] to lick its proverbial wounds.
[[Category:Events]]
[[Category:Rek]]
[[Category:Vyar]]
[[Category:Shrikem]]
[[Category:League of Anar]]
[[Category:K'sath]]
[[Category:Quix]]
[[Category:Ta-deth]]
[[Category:Sooq]]
[[Category:Sapphire Cults of the Jeweled Heresy]]
[[Category:Y'saari]]
[[Category:Lha Ti]]

Elgan Collective

2017-09-15T04:47:28Z

Bandus:

{{Org_infobox
|orgname=Elgan Collective
|leader=[[Trinity]]
|races=[[Elgan]]
|base=[[Biloxan]]
|allies=Unknown
|enemies=[[Nabia]]}}
'''The Elgan Collective''' is the ruling body of the [[Elgan]]. Highly socialist, the collective is entrusted with the majority of the inheritance of its citizens. It uses these funds to ensure the most needy and at risk within their society are always given proper care. The collective acts as an elected democracy, each member chosen by a majority vote of the citizens. It is unknown for how long a representative serves, but the collective is lead by three elected leaders known as the [[Trinity]].

==Members==
*[[Poji Gawin]] - Member of the Trinity
*[[Trinoa Banmyn]] - Member of the Trinity
*[[Nici Triceli]] - Member of the Trinity
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Elgan]]
[[Category:Governments]]

Entozoon

2017-09-13T21:39:59Z

Bandus:

'''Entozoons''' are native to [[Ghenla]] and are immense grublike creatures that live in the caves of the Amber Ridgeline. They have shells of hardened ambergris that has a rock-like consistency. They are of interest to scientists both for their carapace (which, when sufficiently aged, is useful in the creation of fine perfumes), for the fact that they seem to have no end to their natural lifespan, and do not seem to age as normal creatures do. They begin life in the ocean and consume the smaller [[blood darter]]s that nest in the ridgeline.
[[Category:Creatures]]
[[Category:Lha Ti]]

Entozoon

2017-09-13T21:39:12Z

Bandus:

'''Entozoons''' are native to [[Ghenla]] and are immense grublike creatures that live in the caves of the Amber Ridgeline. They have shells of hardened ambergris that has achieved a rocklike consistency. They are of interest to scientists both for their carapace (which, when sufficiently aged, is useful in the creation of fine perfumes), and for the fact that they seem to have no end to their natural lifespan, and do not seem to age as normal creatures do. They begin life in the ocean, and consume the smaller [[blood darter]]s that nest in the ridgeline.
[[Category:Creatures]]
[[Category:Lha Ti]]

Black Nova

2017-09-13T21:37:47Z

Bandus:

'''Black Nova''' is an addictive pleasure [[drug]] manufactured by the [[Nabia]] in which the first hour is black indeed. Many users report severe depression and nearly all who are capable experience the phenomenon of it "coming out both ends." However, once the black period is over, the nova period kicks in as your pleasure centers all-but-explode with wave after wave of pleasure that lasts for a couple of hours. It's injected.
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Food and Beverage]]
[[Category:Drugs]]