From: Michael O'Shea <moshea@t...>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 21:48:46 +1000
Subject: A minor power for FT
Hi, I've been lurking ever since I subscribed to the list but I thought I'd finally rear my head and post this background for my 'side' in the GZG universe. For the record I regularly play Beth and the NARC guy. I don't have any old digests recorded but I think one of you was trying to collect this sort of thing along with scenarios, etc. I don't have a scenario, but I do have this: CIS: Corporate Intersystem Securities A megacorporation in the GZG universe. CIS is the legacy of the old mega-corporations that were spawned during the 21st century of Earth. The many and varied conflicts that arose allowed enterprising arms manufacturers and military contractors to gain favors, autonomy and develop their own power bases. After several incidents (such as the route of the LLAR from Earth) several major arms companies banded together and created their own security force that would defend them and their assets from hostile powers, regardless of the political climate. With the rapid devlopment of FTL travel and the increasing number of spaceborne nations spreading across the galaxy the CIS developed their own space fleet to defend stellar assets, protect convoys from pirates and take certain actions against competitors when no-one was looking. Eventually the CIS became a small power unto itself and the fleet expanded to become capable of engaging minor nations. Over time the CIS and the companies that spawned it have largely become one and the same. This newfound power led to several corporate-dominated worlds to declare independance, their citizens (supposedly) happy under their benevolent rule. The reality is much different - society and freedoms are more comparable to the ESU but with a heavy capitalist bent. The fleet is also used for taking non UN-sanctioned action against rivals and there are rumors the CIS has links with several pirate clans, all of which prey on competitors. Occasionally the CIS fleet has been used to break blockades in order to let merchant vessels through, claiming they were protecting the livelihoods of the everyday citizens. CIS has effectively become a minor stellar nation with planetary assets and a fleet to match, although it still currently masquerades as a corporation. The corporate regime still has many links with other powers, supplying whoever can afford their armaments and vehicles to anybody with the funds. The CIS fleet consists partially of refitted vessels purchased from existing stellar nations wth the rest being entirely new designs. There is a heavy emphasis of carrier-based operations with masses of fighters showing up to any engagements - it was determined that losing fighters in combat was more cost effective than risking valuable capital ships. As such pratically all cruiser-class ships and up are heavily armored and screened, armed nearly universally with class-2 beam batteries and pulse torpedoes. Ground forces are heavily mechanized with a bent towards walkers and energy-based weapons, the logic being that if someone wrongs the company then any and all force will be used to extract payment if the courts will not see things the company way. Nobody defaults on payments and gets away with it! Any feeback/comments are more than welcome.