Coldsouls
Psychical description:
The Coldsoul, being descendants of the first human Sol colonist, still hold much resemblance to their ancestors. Thou, years of living on the ice moons of the gas giant Frozen Flame, and certain aspects of their beliefs, have put evolution and adaptation in motion.
A typical Coldsoul male [providing that he's not a follower that just joined the society] is about 4'10 to 5'6 feet tall. Due to their rituals, which destroy hair roots every one of them is hairless [even if some hair survive the initiation ritual, the Coldsouls shave them]. Their skin is usually very pale, sometimes even with a low, blue tone. Although smaller, and psychically weaker then an average human, they are much faster, and flexible and agile as the best medal-winning acrobatics.
Their bodies are usually covered in many scars and marks of cold burns.
History:
A flaw in the Crystal
The oldest records available, show that the Coldsouls are descendants of one of the first waves of human colonists, that were sent through out the universe to populate new worlds. Due to unknown factors, one ship misjumped, and it's inhabitants found themselves orbiting a gas giant with two huge frozen moons. The colony ship still could travel through normal space, but it's jump drive was designed only for one jump, as additional supplies and necessary help were ought to be send with additional ships with colonists. This never happened, as nobody was able where the colony ship disappeared. The supply ships arrived at the correct coordinates, only to find that no one was there. The launching of more colony ships was aborted, and the whole incident sent back the expansion of Sol resident for over twenty years.
The future Coldsouls, left with no other choice, colonized the two barren and icy worlds, naming the gas giant Frozen Flame. Soon, thou countless died, the colonists learned to live on the two planets. Communicating only through radio, as their colony ship was left orbiting one of the planets, when it's crew died out of hunger, the two colonies were left alone. They survived, and slowly started rebuilding society. At this point, it's very probable they were still more humans the Coldsouls.
[to be continued]
Beliefs and rituals:
The Coldsouls believe, that cold and ice are the ultimate god and superior power in the universe. They are fanatics, that spread word of the Infinite Zero, convincing others to embrace it's cold grasp.
Upon birth, every child is exposed to the Embrace of Cold - or in simple words, the cold of space. Even thou it takes only a few moments, it's enough for the some child's to freeze to death, while others reactive a various degree of cold burns, that even if healed right away, result of loss of most of the victims temperature feeling nerve endings, and many scars. The same ritual is performed on everyone that wants, or is forced to join the Coldsouls - even if many die during it.
Those that survive thou, are granted full access to the society - providing that one likes the idea of running almost naked in environments almost twenty degrees below Celsius.
Another important ritual is the masochistic Ice Kiss ritual. Members of the cult place a ring, varying in size from a small coin, to a large plate, which is a freezing mechanism, quite similar to the ones used in their weapons [there is a theory, that the rings were first, and after a while came the idea to convert this technology into a weapon]. The ring concentrates it's freezing power in it's centre thus creating there an enormous cold. Then, water [or sometimes, nitrogen] is spayed in that point, which creates an ice shard, that not only forms on the outside of the body, but also freezes several inches inside the Coldsouls body. Then, this devices are attached to the body with various straps, and usually left that way for an unknown amount of time. The host does not only suffer from the extreme cold that's constantly delivered to his body, but also from actually carrying his own frozen flesh. On the bright side, it should be noted that the Coldsouls are very careful with this ritual, and, surprisingly, monitor the one that's enduring it, to make sure that the damage won't be terminal.
Ships and tactics:
As the Coldsouls try to convince everyone to their religion, their ships are mostly armed for disabling and disarming enemy ships. This doesn't mean that they can't defend themselves - using the power that normally one would use to heat the ship, they use it to control and attack with cold.
Ships
ECK-93 "Icicle"
The Icicle, although it's small size, and next to none weaponry is one of the most feared ships of the Coldsouls, and the first target in any combat it appears in. Basically, it's just a powerful engine, attached to a steering cockpit and a single Ice Shard Gun, placed on a large, ice asteroid. Thou, the main reason it's feared isn't from it's speed, armour or arments - it's from the tactic that a single pilot that commands this frozen piece of rock uses - ramming it into any enemy ships. The pilot's are usually old or sick people, sometimes even criminals, who wish to make a secrefice to the Absolute Zero, the cold of space, to provide themselves with life eternal.
ECS-101 "Snowball"
The Snowball is the Coldsouls scout, stand alone raiding ship, and support ship. Armed with two Shard Splatters, which role is to intercept and deflect incoming fire with spheres of ice shards, one Frost Generator, which in short time can cover a whole ship in remote waves of pure frost and a Freeze Ray which provides the role of disabling a target ships weapons.
It is infamous mainly for attacking civilian transports an sail yachts - taking out their defences and disabling weapons, leaving their captains with a choice - embrace either The Cold, or death.
ECT-102 "Iceberg"
The massive, yet poorly armed Iceberg is the Coldsouls transport and colonization ship. Able to carry tons of goods in it's massive hull, or hundreds of troops and war machines, for planetary siege, it's know to be one of the hardiest and toughest transport ships in the known universe. All through poorly armed, it still can hold off even a battleship until it's jump drive is ready to fire up. The disadvantage holding most trading corporations from trying to get ahold on one of this ships, is that it lacks most heating and warming devices, that any other transports ship might have. Thou it doesn't matter much to the Coldsouls, any captured prisoners being transported on the Iceberg could argue.
ECD-109 "Glacier"
The Glacier is the backbone of the Coldsoul fleet, and the most common used and produced ship. Armed with two Ice Guns, which send bolts of frozen materia, that is used to take out enemy weapons, an enchanted Frost Generator and Freeze Ray and two Ice Shard Guns, each sending a massive amount of high speed ice fragments at it's target in a wide spread, making evading them nearly impossible.
While encountering a Coldsoul fleet you can be sure you'll find this ships - they'll disarm and destroy your weapons, and then force you to face the coldness of space - either in the initiation ritual, or flying out through a hole in your ships hull.
ECHB-102 "Blizzard"
The quite new in design Blizzard class is the Coldsouls heavy battleship. Armed with six Ice Shard Guns, one Advanced Frost Generator, one Ice Gun, one Freeze Ray and one Ice Beam, which sends a wave of froze particles at enemy ships is also known for the first Coldsoul ship, that posses a section [in fact, just a re-designed docking bay], in which all prisoners, and new members are gathered for the Embrace of Cold ritual. [a fact worth mentioning, is that the captain of the Ethernal, a smugglers ship, managed to get his second pilot out of the Coldsouls grip, by flying his ship into that place, when the hatches opened and the gathered there were to embrace the cold of space, and then he blasted his way out, through the ship's hull. Currently, Coldsouls give a large fortune to anyone that will bring this man, to one of their systems].
ECSB-01 "Snowflake"
[desc to come]
Profit Coalition
History:
Early establishment
Back in the days, when space travel and planet colonization was just after it's birth, several newly-founded space-materials providers and shipbuilding corporations [among which were such giants as SE Star Communications, or GM Space Engineering] joined, forming the Galactic Trade Forum - an organization dedicated to bring free-trade rules into space. What it was founded, it quickly became a rival to the government-military SSTCP Services [Sol Social Transport-Colonization-Protection Services]. Tensions raised, as colonists quickly started questioning the monopoly of the SSTCP, and asked for another, maybe cheaper way to communicate, transport or travel. Still, the space law was so written, that they didn't had much choice. At least at first.
The military led organization could not keep up with the exercised and consolidated players from the GTF, and after a series of court trials against the monopolist, the SSTCP lost most of it's privileges. The only place where it continued to keep the upper hand was the manufacture and possession of warships - the GTF members could arm their ships, and even protect smaller convoys, but it was clear that the Sol Social had the best battleships, that proved to be far better in defending other ships from the rising space piracy. In exchange for the right to to own and sell any planets they discovered, the GTF accepted restrictions in the number and type of weapons that could be mounted on their ships.
Braking point - the StarWing incident
After over twenty years of more or less successful coexistence, thanks to the GTF looking for more and more profitable or colonizable planets, the Sol humans owned or lived, on over 452 planets in 393 star systems. Still, only 10 to 15 percent of them were controlled by any government or military law - the others were the corporations of the GTF playgrounds. Although they were controls and shut downs of almost slave-like colonies, or hazard and piracy dens, the majority of the private planets were beyond the reach of any law. The SSTCP, now only a small-time player, was of the verge of death. It looked like the was the one in actually control of the known Galaxy.
During the control of a large freighter of the StarWing Transports Alliance, slaves and illegal goods were found. The ship was confiscated, and a small police force was sent to investigate the planets that it visited, starting with the StarWing home planet. There are two alternate reports, of what has been found. One says that the police investigating hit jackpot - they found numerous evidences of slave trade and smuggling. The second says, the the investigators found nothing at first, but after a while someone [probably the SSTCP personnel] planted the evidence. This, along with several other such findings led to the turning point.
All of StarWing assets, ships and planets were seized by SSTCP [shortly afterwards renamed to Sol Government Forces] troops. The GTF protested, but it quickly was disbanded on Earth, and some corporations headquarters on the planet, and in sector with strong military presence were raided and taken over by armed army units. Any ships trying to escape were disabled or even shot down by the superior SGF battleships. Still, they tried to remain legal in what they were doing - the SE Star Communications for example, after the investigation was found unrelated to any illegal activity, and had all of it's wealth returned, along with some recompense. The last turning point, which almost threw the galaxy into civil war, was a complete destruction of a small investigation SGF fleet, that was sent to size one of the far corporation headquarters worlds. Some GTF members have broken the agreement, and started producing military ships. Soon, both parties clashed in a series of battles.
[more to come...]
Ships
[note: The PC sells it's ships to anyone that has enough money to buy one. They aren't that expensive, so are quite popular in almost all galaxy sectors, but their use comes with one condition - one cannot never be used against any PC fleet. If someone tries, these ships have secretly well-hidden self-destruction mechanisms]
APCS-93 "Ducat"
The "Ducat" is one of the newer, and best designs the Profit Coalition has to offer. With four Orange Lasers, and a full side shield generators, it's a perfect ship for convoy protection. Due to use of smaller class lasers, the generators of the Ducat have far more power then on any other PC ships of it's size, which results in greatly enchanted speed ratings.
APCS-42 "Florin"
The Florin is an older design, thou still widely use throughout the galaxy. It has a powerful arment of two Rapid Orange Lasers, thou their power drain is so high, that some refer to the Florin as a gun platform, rather then a ship. That is, until they get in range.
APCT-51 "Livre"
Livre class is a line of all-purpose transport ships. It's weak arment, and lack of shielding is recompensed by the speed of this ship, and it' armour. Also, it's quite cheep to manufacture, so it's the most common transport ship seen in the galaxy.
APB-67 "Sesterce"
The Sesterce is the main medium battleship in the PC fleet. Thou smaller then most of ships of it's class, it has proven to be a worthy opponent. Armed with two Rapid and two normal Orange Lasers, it can bring down sever smaller ships without even a scratch of it's well-protected by strong shields armour. The only downside of the ship is, that as all PC ships, it lack the power for the main engine, and is quite slow.
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