Backstory
---Welcome to the VORE Station background page!---
This is the starting page into VORE Station's lore, also commonly known as 'fluff' (but we usually just call it lore). This is the basic, common knowledge that the vast majority of characters should know and helps introduce you, the player, into the world of our server.
Many wiki pages will start with a collapsible entry like this one holding snippets of lore as told by a person who would live in our universe or a short story to help set the mood. They are mainly for entertainment and are not for explaining game mechanics or the like.
Once again welcome to VORE Station, we hope your stay here is a long and enjoyable one!
The year is 2324 CE (Common Era). With the help of massive arc ships humanity had slowly spread and colonized our sun's neighboring systems. Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Sirius and more are connected by a network of warpgates that makes travel between systems take months instead of decades. With the discovery of the seemingly supernatural phoron and the acquisition of Terraforming Machines, on-ship FTL drives became a possibility, increasing the speed at which humanity expanded and colonized the stars at a never before imagined rate.
We aren't alone in this endeavor, the Skrell, Akula, Unathi, Tajaran, and Dionaea, alien species that have allied with humanity, explore the stars along our sides, expanding the frontier ever further for knowledge and profit.
However danger lurks just around the corner. From hostile aliens like the Vox, other, unknown entities whose true names are only whispered in the shadows and existence kept hidden from the common person, are blamed for damaging and causing the disappearances of ships, stations and colonies out on the frontier. Phoron, as beneficial as it is, is still relatively unknown and all of its dangers even more so. Finally, space itself is a cruel, uncaring mistress that countless have lost their lives to from something as simple as a tear in their space suit, and it is commonly known that mankind is his own worse enemy.
It's a brave new world.
Welcome to the Frontier
Welcome to Virgo-Erigone (or Virgo for short), a system on the edge of colonized human space, the frontier. You are assigned to work on a moon orbiting Virgo-3, one of only two phoron giants in known space. Several Trans-Stellar Corporations (TSC's) including NanoTrasen Systems Inc. (NTS), the Free Trade Union (FTU) and countless independents hoping to strike it big at Virgo-Prime are all vying for control of the system. Virgo lacks a stable warpgate, relying instead on ships capable of faster than light (FTL) speeds, so Sol Central's presence in this system is almost nonexistant. In Virgo, NanoTrasen is the de-facto governing body of the star system. They supply all the housing, nearly all of the infrastructure, all emergency services, and employ numerous military contractors to provide security--some of whom may or may not be playing both sides of any given conflict.
The universally accepted currency by all but a select few systems and regions is the Thaler, which is backed and supported by Sol Central and its allies. It is represented by the symbol "$" (e.g. $130). With the advances of technology the overall standard of living and education is high even out in the frontier, though glaring examples still exist (Like the colony Tenebre Lupus, whose supporting companies had completely collapsed and left them stranded, for example).
Life in Virgo
Out in the frontier, employers, be they a captain of a Free Trade vessel, a Trans-Stellar executive, or just someone with money to spare and in need of an extra hand, are forced to take just about whoever is willing and apparently able. With Sol being months worth of spaceflight away--even with faster than light travel--running a full background check on a candidate is not viable, which means many questionable people get placed in even the most high-security positions and loyalty is 'by your word', which means in Virgo, corporate backstabbing and criminal activity is quite high. This and a lack of available employees in general means employees who do prove themselves often find themselves promoted quickly, and put into positions that they are even the slightest bit capable in.
Unlike in systems where the Sol has more influence such as Nyx, Vir, or Tau Ceti, the population in Virgo is a rich melting pot of sentient species, be they natively born, hybrids, or outright artificial and made of genetically modified flesh or carefully crafted silicon. Your coworkers will often include alien species, some of which you might recognize, and others that you'll be seeing for the first time. Due to exposure to so many different cultures, many of these aliens have lost their accents or cultural identities.
Due to the lack of an official government, NanoTrasen is the defacto ruling body in the Virgo-Erigone system, as no other faction has the resources to provide social services, infrastructure, and security like NanoTrasen does. Most of the citizens living on Virgo-Prime are employees of the corporation, or part of a subcontracted company that does business with NanoTrasen.
Humanity and Allies
The below is a brief overview of humanity and aligned species in the known universe. The links in the name will redirect to further information about the species.
Humanity
Home planet: Earth
Home system: Sol
Humanity, everything and nothing can be said about them. They are the primary driving force for rapid space expansion and perhaps the most populated (known and sentient) species in the galaxy. The vast majority of Trans-Stellar Corporations are owned by humans, and the mighty United Nations Space Command is the main military presence across any system where humans make up the majority of the inhabitants. By this time men and women are treated all but equal, however there may still be exceptions.
While most humans are accepting of other species and simply want to earn an honest paycheck, the best and worst are found among them. You never know what a human is going to be like when you first meet them.
Due their prevalence in current known space, and their ability to encompass all traits, good and bad, humanity is often considered the 'status quo'.
Skrell
Home planet: Qerr'balak
Home system: Qerr'Vallis
The Skrell are a species of amphibious humanoids, distinguished by their green-blue gelatinous appearance and head tentacles. Skrell warble from the world of Qerrbalak (or as the lore once called it, Jargon 4), a humid planet with plenty of swamps and jungles. Currently more technologically advanced than humanity, they emphasize the study of the mind above all else.
Gender has little meaning to Skrell outside of reproduction, and in fact many other species have a difficult time telling the difference between male and female Skrell apart. The most obvious signs (voice in a slightly higher register, longer head-tails for females) are never a guarantee.
Due to their scientific focus of the mind and body, Skrell tend to be more peaceful and their colonization has been slow, swiftly outpaced by humanity. They were the first contact sentient species, and are humanity's longest, and closest, ally in space.
Akula
Home planet: Unknown
Home system: Qerr'Vallis
The Akula are a species of amphibious humanoids like the Skrell, but have an appearance very similar to that of a shark. They were first discovered as a primitive race of underwater dwelling tribal creatures by the Skrell. At first they were not believed to be noteworthy, but the Akula proved to be such swift and clever learners that the Skrell reclassified them as sentients. Allegedly, the Akula were also the first sentient life that the Skrell had ever encountered beside themselves, and thus the two species became swift allies over the next few hundred years. With the help of Skrellean technology, the Akula had their genome modified to be capable of surviving in open air for long periods of time. However, Akula even today still require a high humidity environment to avoid drying out after a few days, which would make life on an arid world like Virgo-Prime nearly impossible if it were not for Skrellean technology to aid them.
Most Akula today consider Qerr'Vallis to be their home where they live alongside their Skrell allies, while their true home world has been forgotten over the ages. Akula still tell legends of their home world, passed down through word of mouth, talking of great magical cities on the bottom of the ocean in a galaxy far away. Skrell historians believe a great tragedy befell the Akulan race which led to their near extinction, and the tribal Akula they eventually discovered had actually descended from the survivors of this once technologically advanced species. The most widely accepted theory is that the Akula originally hail from the Andromeda Galaxy. This is supported by the fact that varying races of Akula have been found in scattered tribal communities across the galaxy, some more technologically advanced than others, but all without space travel of their own. Unfortunately, no one has the technology today to make such a journey to find out.
Gender as a cultural identity has little meaning to most Akula, which is a result of Skrellean cultural influence, but the difference between male and female among the Akula is much more obvious than with the Skrell. Like humans and Tajaran, female Akula have large breasts and curvacious bodies, along with similar reproductive organs that appear almost mammalian in nature. Food also plays a huge role in their sexuality. The best way to an Akula's heart is through their stomach. Their demeanor will often change to docile and flirtatious while engorged with food--similar to Earthly sharks, or other shark-like creatures on other worlds with life. It would turn out that the shark is a popular evolutionary path for water dwelling predators throughout the cosmos.
Unlike the Skrell, Akula tend to be more arrogant and less intelligence focused, and will often find themselves in trouble with the law outside of Skrell controlled systems. Popular professions for Akula include piracy, smuggling operations, mining, and mercenary work. However, due to their mutual respect of the Skrell, most will not engage in hostile activity against Skrell or other Akula.
Unathi
Home planet: Moghes
Home system: Uueoa-Esa
Raging in from Moghes, the Unathi are a race of tall, reptilian humanoids that possess both crocodile-like and serpent-like features. They are a proud, warlike species that favors honor and strength, their home, Moghes, is a desert planet but was once believed to be full of life. There are many different races of Unathi as well, ranging from dragon-like to almost snakelike.
Of all the currently known sentient species, the Unathi are the most unequal in gender with females tending to be property of the males. Most Unathi outside of Moghes tend to be exiles however, and with influence of other species the cultural gender difference is not nearly as pronounced.
Unathi were humanity's second contact, and despite their aggressive nature, seem to get along well enough with humanity, though are often considered to be 'second-class' citizens and are rarely seen in jobs other than where muscle is needed.
Tajaran
Home planet: Ahdomai
Home system: S'randarr
The Tajaran are a humanoid race possessing cat-like features. Hailing from Ahdomai, the smaller of two twin planets, they possess insulating fur and felinoid stability to better survive in their harsh native environment. Their home planet is a cold planet of vast tundra and arctic zones.
For generations the Tajaran were practically enslaved by the leading class who were recently overthrown. While males and females are treated roughly equal, the true division is between the young and the old. Remembering their days of being ruled the older generation pride themselves on loyalty, while the younger generation are often seen as headstrong.
Tajaran are one of the most recent contact by humanity. While plenty of Tajaran hold reservations with their new allies, over all the alliance is accepted and welcome. Though like the Unathi plenty of humans take advantage of the less than modern education and slave past history, and it is rare to see a Tajaran in a position of command outside of systems like Virgo where the human population is limited.
Sergal
Home planet: Tal
Home system: Vilous
There are two subspecies of Sergal, Southern and Northern. Northern sergals are a highly aggressive race that lives in the plains and tundra of their homeworld. They are characterized by long, fluffy fur bodies with cold colors; usually with white abdomens, somewhat short ears, and thick faces. Southern sergals are much more docile and live in the Gold Ring City and are scattered around the outskirts in rural areas and small towns. They have short, brown or yellow (or other "earthy" colors) fur, long ears, and a long, thin face. They are smaller than their Northern relatives. Both have strong racial tensions which has resulted in more than a number of wars and outright attempts at genocide. The southern sergals have mostly been on the losing side of this long conflict. Sergals have an incredibly long lifespan, but due to their lust for violence and a nasty habit of occasional cannibalism, only a handful have ever survived beyond the age of 80, such as the infamous and legendary General Rain Silves who is claimed to have lived to 5000. Although General Rain's historical existence is disputed, she is nonetheless a symbol of the Sergal's warrior culture.
Despite advances in technology, militant Sergals still wear metal or leather armor and usually favor polearms or bladed weapons, and are capable of great physical feats thanks to their strong, wiry limbs with much denser muscles than humans, more akin to a chimpanzee's muscles. They are reluctant to embrace new technology and pride themselves on the old ways. Despite this, they have made great use of short-range space travel and have colonized much of their home system. This is not, however, to say they are not intelligent. Their intellect rivals that of the Skrell, but is focused mainly on military tactics and strategy, rather than science or history.
Among sergals, females tend to be the dominant gender with larger, more muscular and bulky bodies, and a much more aggressive demeanor, especially among the northern race. This gender divide is most likely born out of the legacy of General Rain, or perhaps General Rain is a fictional character who is the result of this culture where females are often commanders and warriors in vast armies while males are hunters and farmers who may be one of multiple mates to a single female. Like many mammal-like creatures, sergals have breasts, but females also have a unique prehensile hood over their genitalia which protects it from dust and infection.
Humanity encountered Sergals in the year 2556, when the UNSC Pathfinder discovered the planet Tal, but word of the discovery did not reach Sol until late 2557 due to what would be known as The Vilous Incident, wherein a total of 1,284 UNSC personnel and somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 native Sergals were killed in a brief military conflict. The Vilous system has been under UNSC occupation ever since, and has been annexed into SolGov's influence.
Nevrean
Home planet: Eltus
Home system: Vilous
An avian species hailing from the planet Eltus in the Vilous system, characterised by their long whiplike tail-feathers. The species is generally matriarchal, with females tending towards duller, brown coloration and bulkier bodies, while males are slight and brightly coloured. In both typical mannerisms, culture and physical build, the sexes are directly reversed when compared to traditional human society. Their build is somewhere between a bird and a feathered dinosaur. Females tend to have short feathers on their arms that are not capable of flight, while males often have more developed flight-feathers - on-station, these are often kept tucked away and folded under their jumpsuit sleeves.
There are no remaining records describing how the Nevreans came to leave Eltus and relocate to Tal - they have little to no written history from that time, having a tradition of oral history and song, and most of what little history survives of their former homeworld is couched in myth, legend, stories, fairytales and adventures. Humanity have not yet had time to study these stories and separate fact from fiction, and reality from metaphor, or what parts of the stories might hint at the then-primitive race having a visit from a spacefaring species. As a result, Eltus has attracted no small amount of interest from xenoarchaeologists.
After the exodus, Nevreans coexisted alongside Sergals, though tend to be much more forward-looking when it comes to new technology. While sergals still tended towards traditional melee weapons and armor in battle, Nevreans have no such hangups when it comes to more modern armaments and have earned a reputation as crafters and engineers in urban communities. Likewise, the urban groups have tended to adopt the written languages of other cultures, nevreans lacking any written form of their own tongue.
During The Vilous Incident, most nevrean communities avoided confrontation, though some urban groups took to asymmetric warfare tactics where the fighting spilled over into the cities.
Dionaea
(( Whitelisted species - requires a special character application to play. ))
Home system: Epsilon Ursae Majoris
The dionaea are a group of omnivorous, slow-metabolism plantlike organisms that are in fact clusters of individual, smaller organisms. They exhibit a high degree of structural flexibility, and come in a wide variety of shapes and colours to reflect the intelligence of each individual creature. They were discovered by the Skrell in 2294CE, not on a planet, but in open space between three stars, a figurative hell that made it difficult to discover, much less contact them.
Dionaea spread by seeds and are asexual, no gender. When grown into their small 'nymph' state, they are known to eat large amounts of dead plant matter and fertilize plants while they learn from those around them by sampling their genetic code (usually through blood extractions), and as they grow further merger into larger and larger forms. It is not unheard of for Skrell explorers to be traveling in a ship composed of habitat modules and engines of Skrell make, with the body of the ship formed by their Diona allies to warble across the cosmos.
Introduced by the Skrell, and quite slow and peaceful, the Diona share good relations with humanity.
Synthetics
Synthetics are spread throughout known space and serve a myriad variety of roles that range from a tiny drone scrubbing a floor to a nearly omnipotent AI in command of an entire battle cruiser. Most known sentient races use synthetics in some way or fashion, very often as prosthetic bodies when their own bodies fail. There are three basic kinds of synthetic found in the universe today:
Robot: A robot is the term to use for any robot that uses more basic forms of intelligence. These are thought of as property in the vast majority of instances and are usually the robots that do the menial tasks that higher functioning beings choose not to do.
Cyborg: A cyborg is a robot that uses an organic brain to function via an MMI or Positronic Brain. Cyborgs come in many shapes and sizes and most of the sentient beings that are cyborgs are free-willed. Some companies have used canine brains and brains of other animals to ensure a cheap workforce that doesn't rely on cutting-edge technology.
Synthmorph: A Synthmorph is a bipedal mechanical body housing a mind, similar to a cyborg, though they are not restricted by laws like the cyborg may be. It's possible that they are former cyborg minds, 'upgraded' into a new body, or even AI units who decided to give up their omniscience in exchange for a physical form.
Halflings
Halflings, more commonly known as "demis", is a broad term for any sentient life form that shares physical traits with species outside of its own. The most famous example are so-called nekos, which are humans that underwent genetic alterations to gain cat ears and tails as purely an aesthetic trait. Later examples have spawned more practical uses, such as bear DNA being utilized by Soviet soldiers, or load-bearing animal DNA like horses or cattle enhancing the DNA of laborers. These so-called demis either underwent deliberate genetic modification, or were born with these traits from a genetically modified parent.
It is believed that the Skrell had some role in their creation, as some halfling societies pre-date human history, and there are a variety of common demis across the galaxy such as nagas (half-snake beings) that should not exist on the worlds they inhabit, as their evolutionary line doesn't connect with other life forms on the worlds they often live on.
Halflings continue to be developed even today for increasingly practical purposes. Advancements in genetic and xenoarcheological science has even allowed scientists to tap into the DNA of extinct life forms, which may result in even more hybrid options in the future.
Zorren
Home Planet: Virgo-Prime
Home System: Virgo-Erigone
The fox-like Zorren are native to Virgo-Prime, however there are two distinct varieties of Zorren one with large ears and shorter fur, and the other with longer fur that is a bit more vibrant. The long-eared, short-furred Zorren have come to be known as "Flatland" Zorren as that is where most of their settlements are located. The Flatland Zorren are somewhat tribal and shamanistic as they have only recently started to be hired by the Trans-Stellar Corporations. The other variety of Zorren are known as "Highland" Zorren as they frequently settle in hilly and/or mountainous areas, they have a differing societal structure than the Flatland Zorren having a more feudal social structure, like the Flatland Zorren, the Highland Zorren have also only recently been hired by the Trans-Stellar Corporations, but thanks to the different social structure they seem to have adjusted better to their new lives. Though similar fox-like beings have been seen they are different than the Zorren.
Vulpkanin
Home Planet: Altam
Home System: Vazzend
Vulpkanin or "Vulpa" are a species of sharp-witted canid bipeds residing on the planet Altam just barely within the binary Vazzend system. Their politically de-centralized society and independent natures have led them to become a species and culture both feared and respected for their scientific breakthroughs. Discovery, loyalty, and utilitarianism dominates their lifestyles to the degree it can cause conflict with more rigorous and strict authorities. They speak a guttural language known as 'Canilunzt' which has a heavy emphasis on utilizing tail positioning and ear twitches to communicate intent.
Vulpkanin are an omnivorous (with preference of meat and fish) bipedal furred race vaguely reminiscent of Terran vulpines, and in some cases, reminiscent of Terran Canines. Colorations are usually subdued, but vary considerably on genetics, climate, and personal taste. Vulpa descended from the northern latitudes tend towards whites and rarely, very slight, almost unnoticeable blue tints. Vulpa descended from a more equatorial climates tend towards brighter browns and dusty reds. Vulpkanin in the between of both latitudes tend towards greys, muted reds, blacks, and tans. Bright colors, excluding whites from the arctic region, are unnatural as they are often dyes used by younger minded Vulpkanin to stand out from littermates. Genetic resequencing can make an otherwise impossible color a standard which has become a trend not unlike human 'tattoo' culture.
Vazzend is a system undergoing significant solar activity due to the orbital habits of the primary F class star, Vazzend A also known as 'Kol', which due to the interaction between it and the M class star, Vazzend B 'Gol', causes large bouts of electromagnetic energy pulse out at significant range. The cycle is infrequent, but of great fascination. It was also a terror during the early industrial age of the Vulpkanin peoples when they had just started to unlock the principles of electricity. Altam is the second planet of 4 orbiting Gol, which is near Earth-like conditions, if a touch warmer during summer. Jungles are thick, Forests are about the same, deserts larger and oceans a smidge smaller.
These flares promoted the cultural drive to discover what, why, and how and gave the entire civilization a means to reach for the stars through scientific focus. One of their most prized technologies is the degree of EM resistance built into everything they develop; enabling the small fleet of space, then starships to be nearly impossible to disable with ionic weaponry. It was this tech that promoted interest from the Federation and NanoTrasen directly for use in insulating sensitive power equipment, such as harnessing singularities larger than a few microns in size.
With access to both the stars and employment, Vulpkanin people are quickly finding themselves as honest working Engineers and Scientists for hire, their propensity for group efforts using the meticulous use of their materials ensures they're highly prized to any project team. They are also apt security officers and wardens due to the hierarchical mindset of the pack, but only a rare handful have the traits to actually lead as an alpha.
Vasilissans
Home planet: Varilak
Home system: Antares
Vasilissans are a carnivorous, large spider like people with tall, lanky bipedal bodies covered in chitin, and four large spider like limbs protruding from their backs. They come in a variety of colors, and are extremely diverse in that aspect. The females are usually about a foot taller than the males, averaging in at about seven feet. The females are also much stronger than the males. Their faces have four eyes of solid and varying colors. On the top of their heads are strange, thick, leg like feelers that are normally styled in much the same way as hair. Their color varies greatly, and isn’t normally the same color as the Vasilissan’s body. They have several feelers and sharp claw like limbs around their lipped human like mouths. These mouths contain only fangs, a strange, bulbous, long tongue, and spinnerets, giving them the ability to spit large strands of silk from their mouths. Their faces are traditionally very pretty, long, and elegant, almost elf like despite their hard chitin plating and lack of a nose. Their genitalia is surprisingly human like, despite the males having internal testes, and a genital slit for their penises, and the females having receptacles for storing sperm for an extended period of time before fertilizing at the time of laying, which they do with an ovipositor. This ovipositor is normally hidden within its own special slit behind one of her abdominal plates until it is needed. They normally lay into the orifices of warm blooded animals.
From a temperate jungle planet, the Vasilissans were once a solitary, territorial people until great queens began to subjugate them. These 'Star Queens' ruled with an iron fist, and urged their subjects to expand her territory and to attempt to build great towering cities tall enough to reach the stars and their sun, which they believed to be gems of great magical power and spiritual significance. They were eventually picked up and ‘uplifted’ by NT due to their world being rich in precious metals, but their ability to design and create vast, strong, and luxurious structures with their silk, stood out well among their talents, and due to their naturally somewhat solitary natures, they make great scouts and explorers.
Xenochimera
(( Whitelisted species - requires a special character application to play. ))
Home planet: Not known
Home system: Not known
An extraterrestrial colony organism, xenochimera are unusual in that they have no real defining physiology of their own - effectively, xenochimera mimic other beings, or parts of other beings, by consuming them and mutating their own cellular structure to imitate whatever evolutionary advantages they may find - or in layman's terms, they eat other creatures and copy features to create bizarre hybrids. As a result, no two examples of the species are alike, and they can in fact be wildly different in appearance.
Xenochimera are highly unusual and rare creatures, and thus of great interest to Nanotrasen's xenobiology division. Owing to the moral and legal constraints surrounding experimentation on (arguably) sentient creatures, NT's Landside Science Division on Virgo Prime has suggested simply hiring them with the hope that doing so will allow the company to observe and study them in a way that locking them in a xenobio pen would not - and if the scientists on the station can persuade them to volunteer themselves for examination, that's a bonus.
Further information about the species can be found on the Xenochimera page.
Xenomorph-Hybrid
(( Whitelisted species - requires a special character application to play. ))
Home planet: N/A
Home system: N/A
Xenomorph hybrids are an extraterrestrial species. The origins of xenomorphs are primarily unknown, although hybrids have been formed through various ways. One of the most common ways they are created is by genetic experimentation. This is done either by splicing xenomorph DNA into a humanoid, or splicing humanoid DNA into a xenomorph, although the former is much more common. This process creates a hybrid of the two species with them sharing various traits.
Some of the traits xenomorph hybrids have are: A thick chitinous exoskeleton of varying hardness, much like a lobster, an elongated curved head, a toothed maw which hides a proboscis like inner mouth, a jaw somewhat similar to a moray eel, green blood of varying acidity, a vertebrate-like body, and a long flexible tail. This can vary from hybrid to hybrid.
Additionally, most, if not all hybrids do not appear to share the hive-mind that most feral xenomorphs seem to possess, along with their ability to produce resin, and their increased ability to sense prey. This can also be assumed to be due to the intensive mutation process.
Important Groups
Trans-Stellar Corporations
These are the big corporate forces, major companies whose reach cover numerous star systems and are nearly government forces of their own. While Sol Central does keep them in check to make certain nothing too inhumane or against humanity's interest is being performed, they actually police each other in a way. Keep in mind while many corporations do have their own security forces, some of them armed well enough to make some governmental military forces jealous, they are all used for 'asset protection'.
The major seven trans-stellars are: NanoTrasen, Ward-Takahashi GMB, Gilthari Exports, Grayson Manufactories Ltd., Aether Atmospherics and Recycling, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and Hesphaistos Industries.
Other important trans-stellars are: Vey-Med, Advent Life Biolabs, Aerospace Combat Escort Services (aka ACES), RauMauser, Donk Co., and Cybersun Industries.
Free Trade Union
To keep the TSC's in check, and to help protect the smaller businesses striving to just make a living, the Free Trade Union was formed 200 years ago. Each FTU branch is different from system to system, but each offer lawyers, copyright enforcement, and even anti-pirate asset protection forces for any non TSC business. All FTU stations are renowned for their open markets where all are welcomed to sell and trade, even the Vox. They're the vocal defenders of the mom and pop stores, basically.
Sol Central
The banner over which most of humanity is united under. They focus on keeping humanity's best interest in check and tend to keep out of a system's personal problems unless they are in a dire state of emergency. They are protected by the UNSC.
Military Groups
Not only are there corporate interests out in deep space, but also military ones. These factions tend to be neutral to corporate empires like NanoTrasen, but occasionally NanoTrasen will find its self in the crossfire of an ongoing conflict.
The most well known trans-stellar military group is the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), based out of Earth in Sol Central, as well as its mostly defunct grandfather organization, the United States Colonial Marines. NanoTrasen is non-hostile to the UNSC and has a number of lobbyists in Sol Central's government to ensure the UNSC's cooperation.
Another group, wary of the influence of Sol Central and hostile to any Trans-Stellar Corporation is the Ares Confederation, a dozen of colony worlds on the fringe of human occupied space. Obviously, considering NT is one of their "sworn" enemies, relationships are frosty at best, although no open hostility broke out yet. They are cordial to both the Soviets and the United Federation, while rumours persists that they back up the Syndicate as well.
Also out of Sol Central is the 3rd Soviet Union, which hails from Europa and continues to exist despite tensions with the UNSC thanks to supporters from scattered colonies and sympathizers across the galaxy providing weapons and resources. NanoTrasen maintains a shakey neutrality with the Soviets, often through the exchange of technology. The Soviets also purchase weapons from NanoTrasen to use against the UNSC.
Contrasty, there is the Fourth Reich, which is a small but rabidly fascist military group which preys upon the hearts of disenfranchised citizens in colonies otherwise left for dead by groups like NanoTrasen once the phoron has dried up. Originally overlooked by NanoTrasen, the Fourth Reich became a threat during the November Crisis of 2558, where Reich forces fired upon the Virgo Orbital Research Establishment and NDV Brutus. The small NDV Icarus was also completely destroyed in the conflict. The Reich is hostile toward the UNSC, the Federation, and the Soviets, but are generally neutral toward the Syndicate.
Finally, there is the infamous Syndicate paramilitary group, which is a conglomerate of rogue governments and criminal forces who are hostile to the perceived corporate dictatorship imposed by NanoTrasen. The Syndicate also receive aid from rival corporate entities who would like to see NanoTrasen dethroned from its near-monopoly over the galaxy's phoron supply. The Syndicate are neutral to everyone else but NanoTrasen, toward whom the Syndicate are viciously hostile.
To defend against belligerent forces, NanoTrasen also employs a vast number of mercenaries to serve in the NanoTrasen Defense Navy, whose weapons and armaments are a mishmash of hardware purchased from surplus UNSC military stockpiles, or developed on their own.
Pirates and Smugglers
Not all in the Virgo system seek to gain an honest paycheck. Crooks and creeps are commonplace in a system like Virgo--far away from the governing bodies that would otherwise stomp them out of existence.
Blackstar Marauders
Consisting of a variety of alien species, the Blackstar Marauders are a group of ruthless space pirates once run by a man named Jarome Rognvaldr. When their leader was imprisoned by NanoTrasen five years ago, and later turned over to Earth government forces, the Blackstar Marauders were eventually taken over by an unknown individual who swiftly returned the group to its former glory as the largest piracy group on the outskirts of inhabited space. They prey mostly on cargo shuttles and fortunately a station like V.O.R.E. is of little interest as a target, but they do still occasionally perform kidnappings for ransom against NanoTrasen employees.
Some of their former members who have been arrested over the years, including Jarome, now work for NanoTrasen. They are not to be trusted, but still have old connections to the black market if you need to make a special order.
Hostile Forces
As mentioned before, there are several smaller antagonistic forces out in Virgo, a brief overview of commonly known knowledge is below, further information can be found on the Identifying Antagonists page:
Disloyals
Virgo has many opportunities for less than loyal individuals to get themselves into important positions. Reasons for betrayal are many: some could be looking for money, have a personal agenda, extreme political/religious ideals, suffering from some form of insanity, or could be more than they appear. Either way, in Virgo, the wise watch their back and do not give out their trust freely.