Episode 05

*"I don't like to hear about problems; I like to hear about solutions!"*

—Lena Shoshkova, Snowtrak Executive

## Introduction

The faction game and its players (Austin Walker, Andrew Lee Swan, Sylvia Clare) are introduced, and Austin gives a brief summary of each faction's current state.

## Faction Overview

Snowtrak Synergies: An OriCon mining/rigger company based on Ionias with influence on Counterweight. Andrew has chosen this as his "pet" faction to have complete control over.

The Odamas Fleet: A group primarily consisting of genetically modified "space pi-rats" who want to take back their home, Kalliope. The flagship Yersinia is a mobile base of influence. This faction was chosen and is controlled by Sylvia.

The Hands of Grace: The heart of the Autonomous Diaspora in the sector, led by the Divine Grace. Their capital is on Garden, but they have a great deal of influence elsewhere, including Weight and Counterweight.

The OriCon Expeditionary Group: The main representative of OriCon proper in the sector based out of Archonic.

The Consolidated Counterweight Technocracy: An unaffiliated minor group on Counterweight that is trying to represent the citizens of Counterweight amid the cold war politics of the major forces on the planet.

The Ethnologistical Committee for a More Prosperous Golden Branch: Based out of Slighter, their goal is to help the Golden Branch by reducing its problems to data, finding solutions and bringing knowledge to the rest of the sector. They are affiliated with the Divine Integrity.

The September Institute: Based on the planet September in OriCon space, they train students called Strati (plural) to "fog" (hack) Divines. They also have ties to the planet Vox.

The Diasporatic Department of Material Resources - Slate Division (DDMR): The major industrial group of the Diaspora, they are a nationalized corporation. They control the planet Slate, which the police state where most of their industry is located. Affiliated with the Divine Service.

The Lux Vox Data Research Centre: Runs the planet Vox. Affiliated with the Divine Loyalty, which is being manipulated by the September Institute.

Liberty and Discovery Automatic Corps: Based out of the planet Glimmer, they are affiliated with the Divine Righteousness, which is more autonomous than other Divines and has a great deal of control over the corps. They design and manufacture drones.

Minerva Mining and Mechanics: An OriCon megacorp based on Minerva XII and its moon. The major industrial corporation in this half of the sector.

EarthHome Entertainment: "Space Disney." They run Joypark, the amusement park planet in the sector, and are the leading entertainment company.

The Rapid Evening: A group based on Ziishe possessing incredible technology, they have taken it upon themselves to secretly monitor and regulate technology in the sector. They control Kesh.

Fairchild Research and Development: Designers of Jace Rethal's Panther and the Odamas Fleet's flagship, they are a cutting-edge scientific organization that may have been involved in many scientific advances in the sector, including the gene modification on Kalliope.

The Apostolosian Empire: Claim to be descended from Atlantis on Earth, their society is vaguely influenced by ancient Greece. They were already present in the sector when OriCon and the Diaspora arrived and used to own many more planets until the Golden War. Now their presence is strongest on their captial, Apostolos.

Horizon Tactical Solutions: A mercenary outfit that has worked with most factions in the sector for the right price.
## The Faction Turn

### Minerva Mining and Mechanics

Minerva's starting goal is to destroy a number of Wealth assets of a rival faction equal to their faction's Wealth rating to sabotage or buy out other organizations.

After considering their options, Minerva chooses to bide its time, and successfully uses its Venture Capital to gain 2 faction credits.

### EarthHome Entertainment

EarthHome's starting goal is to spend faction credits equal to four times their faction's Wealth rating on bribes and influence to continue their moneymaking schemes.

After seeing footage of the Regent's Brilliance in the unauthorized broadcast affiliated with Counterweight's Angels, EarthHome approaches the Technocracy insisting that they pay a fine on this "unauthorized reproductive broadcast of [their] property" or let EarthHome have more control over Counterweight's airwaves.

#### Scene: Orth Godlove vs. Space Disney

Leonard Bertram (Sylvia) enters the office of Orth Godlove (Austin) with his intern Darius Flannigan (Andrew) in tow. As the EarthHome reps approach Orth's desk, Darius drops a hefty stack of paper on the desk. Leonard argues that the Technocracy was in the wrong for showing unlicensed footage of the Brilliance, but Orth quickly shuts him down by pointing out that the Technocracy itself did not broadcast that footage, and furthermore all of the paperwork for the Chime has been taken care of for a long time. He has a secretary usher the pair out, and Darius looks back to Orth with a faint, "Sorry," before they are out of sight.

### The Rapid Evening

The Rapid Evening wants to destroy other factions' Cunning assets equal to their own Cunning rating, to recover technology they have deemed too dangerous or advanced for use.

With their resources scattered and not yet in opportune positions, the Rapid Evening chooses to lie low and simply collect the money that they are earning throughout the sector.

### Snowtrak Synergies

Snowtrak wants to spend faction credits equal to four times their Wealth rating on bribes and influence to keep their company strong; being a minor power in the sector, this is not many credits at all.

Snowtrak is currently digging something up on Ionias. This thing has been communicating somehow with those digging near it, causing them to act erratically. These people are not hurting anybody - they are just *working,* ceaselessly, to the point that people will work until they die in their riggers. Attempts to get an AI scientist to figure out what is causing the effect failed, so this influence goes unchecked for now.

The increased work ethic for no salary is wonderful for the company, but they are rapidly losing employees that are working themselves to death, so one man has a plan to bolster their workforce...

#### Scene: A Ship of Seeds

On the frigid planet of Ionias, we zoom in on the humid, tropical office of Snowtrak Executive Lena Shoshkova (Austin). Natalya Greaves (Sylvia) has reluctantly left her R&D and H&R responsibilities to attend this meeting, electric fan in hand as she has kept her lab coat on her person. Executive Orin Morova (Andrew) and Lena herself are in clothing more appropriate for the beach climate as Lena sips at her drink.

Orin skips straight to the pitch: he will partner with Leonard Bertram to start an ad campaign on Joypark to replenish their workforce. Lena is completely out of touch with the workforce situation, and looks in confusion to Natalya as she remarks that something is very wrong with their employees and nobody knows why. Orin chooses to ignore this and emphasizes how much productivity has increased.

Lena is intrigued by the plan, but her guru has told her that she shouldn't think about numbers, so Orin enthusiastically explains how successful he imagines the new Franchise will be—in a plant metaphor. The high executive is convinced, and as the scene fades to black, Natalya considers readying her resumé.

### Fairchild Research and Development

Fairchild wants to create a base of influence on a new planet. Being based on Kaffe, they hope to place it on Gemm, but given a current lack of resources, they choose to stay put and make money.

### Apostolos

Apostolos wants to seize a planet—specifically Torru. They, too, have very few resources at hand across the sector. They take the same strategy as Fairchild, opting to hoard credits until they are in a better position to strike.

### The Odamas Fleet

The Odamas Fleet is slowly working towards its goal of taking back Kalliope, and in the short term that means doing some damage to its enemies. Its people currently run Tetrakal for Minerva, and in return are allowed to impose a toll on ships entering and leaving Tetrakal space, so they have a base of influence safely on the planet.

The Yersinia is their flagship, stolen from Fairchild, and is led by Hudson Thorne, self-proclaimed "First Son of Kalliope" as he was among the first to receive the unattractive gene modifications that gave rat qualities to soldiers.

The fleet has a unit composed partially of outcast sentient robots, and these robots have infiltrated a Fairchild facility on Kalliope by pretending for months to be simple work robots. This month, they finally strike as the rest of the unit attacks from above the facility. The two-pronged attack heavily damages the facility, but the Fairchild employees at the facility put up impressive resistance and the Odamas' synthetic forces are still in the facility when it explodes.

### Horizon Tactical Solutions

This month they have been hired to remove Tetrakal from the hands of the Odamas, and send in a strike fleet against the Yersinia. The Snowtrak riggers that they use are not suited for space combat, and to their surprise, Horizon is nearly demolished by the space pirates and has to withdraw from the fight.

## Featured Players

* Austin Walker
* Sylvia Clare
* Andrew Lee Swan