Med-Evac and Defensive Intervention Corps, or M.E.D.I.C. is an independent non-profit organization founded in GSC 136 during the first Convergence War. A team of highly trained specialists, their mission is to intervene in high-risk situations where medical aid is required. Over the years they have responded to wars, natural disasters, and all manner of mass-casualty events. They use the latest technology to protect the injured in extreme circumstances.
The Department of Artificial Justice (DAJ)
History
The Department of Artificial Justice was originally founded under the United Nations during the First Robot War as a law enforcement agency focused on the crimes of robots and AIs, before the founding of the Planetary League. In the early days of that war, in GSC -19, before the UN realized the true nature of the situation, it appeared to be a crime-wave perpetrated by artificial agents. At that phase of the conflict, a cadre of the most elite digital forensics, cyber-law, and computer science experts was called together to found a new agency to curb this threat. The DAJ did play an important role in the First Robot War, but not a decisive one.
When the Treaty of Kepler was signed the department was transferred directly to the new Planetary League where it continued its mission under a new governing body.
During the buildup to the Second Robot War, the DAJ sent a large contingent to Takara Prime where the local population had been decimated by the robots they had constructed to wage war on one another. Even though the planet was not under Planetary League jurisdiction, the Alien Assistance Agency requested the presence and assistance of DAJ operatives to deal with the robotic threat.
Over the years the DAJ developed some of the most advanced anti-robot tactics and weaponry, and was a frequent target of attacks by the Engine of Negation, and other bands of renegade robots.
Organization
The DAJ is a law enforcement agency, and is structured as such. The lowest level members are known as agents. The highest ranks whose primary duty is non-administrative is inspector, and the majority of inspectors in the DAJ are encephaloids, the first generations of whom were engineered to face the threats of the First Robot War.
The Planetary League Alien Assistance Agency (PLAAA)
History
Founded in GSC 139 with the passage of the Alien Assistance Act, the Alien Assistance Agency (PLAAA) was the outreach arm of the Planetary League to alien civilizations, especially those undergoing any kind of humanitarian crisis.
Their first major effort was to help the Dogarri during and after the first Convergence War. Many Dogarri civilians suffered the depredations of the Convergence, and many others desired to either join the Planetary League or to re-settle off of their home-world, a frozen planet drifting through interstellar space without the warmth of a star.
In the years between first contact with the takarrans and the start of the Second Robot War, the PLAAA helped evacuate remaining populations of both the Ki’tak and the Lu’tak from Takara Prime. The PLAAA was an important part of the Planetary League throughout its history.
Functions and Functionaries
The PLAA was a diverse organization capable of meeting any number of needs that presented themselves. Over the years the PLAAA fed the hungry, negotiated peace treaties, evacuated refugees, and secured Planetary League citizenship for aliens.
Operatives included diplomats, linguists, biologists, doctors, agricultural specialists, engineers, economists, lawyers, and even a small security force. It was not uncommon for members of species that had been helped by the PLAAA to join the agency as an act of gratitude.
The PLAAA regularly coordinated with other agencies of the Planetary League. In cases where military force was deemed appropriate, the Planetary League Interstellar Navy (PLIN) was typically called up. In the event that some scientific enigma was involved, often the Planetary League Astrophysical Survey (PLAS) would assist.
Clan Magpie
Clan Magpie is one of the inner clans of the Yatagarasu, a shadowy organization working on the fringes of the economy and the law in the wake of the galaxy-spanning wars regularly conducted by the Holy Empire of Man. While the goal of the Yatagarasu is to make a living and help civilians by reclaiming the inherent wastefulness of large-scale warfare, Clan Magpie fills a highly specialized role, seeking out rare and hard to find knowledge and technology. Unlike most of the Clans, Magpies generally work alone, spending years tracking down and securing the most unusual and exotic finds. Their extreme specialization means they are relatively rare. Legends and superstitions surround them wherever they go.
Clan Trash Panda
Clan Trash Panda are one of the inner clans of the Yatagarasu. They specialize in waste collection, with an eye toward salvaging lost technology and recycling. They often have access to ancient equipment from the Planetary League that the rest of the galaxy has lost or forgotten. Clan Trash Panda own and operate recycling centers and junkyards across the galaxy, just hoping to find some obscure piece of lost knowledge.
The Raging Schwa
The Raging Schwa was one of the Fractal Legions, the militant wing of the Hand of Eris. The first known sightings of the Raging Schwa occurred early in Era-2 during the rebellion on Ulrick Station in YE 212.
The Raging Schwa was not a regimented military force by any means, usually appearing as a disorganized mob, the only sure sign of their affiliation was the distinctive Schwa-with-horns insignia (also known as the Raging Schwa) adorning their weapons, armor, and bodies.
As fighters in the Raging Schwa became more experienced, the vowels tended to drop out of their speech, replaced gradually by the "uh" of the Schwa sound.
Tactics
The Raging Schwa didn't tend to use much in the way of strategy when engaging in battle. Their primary tactic was a disorganized headlong charge into hand-to-hand combat with little thought as to the consequences.
Prior to going into battle, the warriors of the Raging Schwa entered a trance-like state that sent them into a berserk rage. Armed with various hand-to-hand weapons, or with bare hands, they descended on the target of their rage, shouting their battle cry "UH!" (a vocalization of the sound that gives the Raging Schwa its name).
Notable Unit Types
Among the unarmed fighters, there was an elite force known as the Hummuckers (from "haymakers", with the "a" sounds replaced with the schwa sound). The Hummuckers appeared to be flailing wildly in battle, but were actually using a form of martial arts similar to Drunken Boxing.
On those rare occasions when artillery was deployed, it often took the form of a modernized Hwacha, (a Korean siege weapon dating to the late 16th century).
The Yatagarasu
History
The Yatagarasu ( 八咫烏 ,"the Star Crows", or just "the Yata" for short ) was founded during the height of the Great Reckoning, around YE 100, early in Era-2. It was named after the three-legged crow. As the Planetary League fell, and the economy of much of the galaxy slid from abundance to scarcity, various groups stepped in to fill the demand for goods and services. Since the Holy Empire of Man was both uninterested and often incapable of providing for the material needs of most of its subjects, the Yatagarasu formed as a loose coalition of scavengers, salvage operators, black-marketeers, and various other outsiders and outcasts. There is some historical evidence that the Tardigrades had a hand in founding the organization, and as time went on their involvement only became more apparent. Tardigrades could typically be found among the upper echelons of most Star Crow clans, often serving as advisors and enforcers for clan leaders. Clan Tardigrade was even founded on the preexisting organizational structure of the Tardigrades.
The Yatagarasu was founded mainly by scavengers and salvage operators, and since war was the single most wasteful activity during Era-2, wherever the imperial war machine went, the Yatagarasu would follow. In addition to salvage operations, after battles, the Yatagarasu would often offer assistance to survivors, and many a war-orphan joined their ranks. For the most part, the Holy Empire of Man tolerated the Yatagarasu's presence, as they tended to clean up the empire's messes. When things went badly for the empire; however, the Yatagarasu would often get blamed due to their associations with the black market, rebels, outcasts, and criminals.
Over time, organized crime and mercenaries joined the ranks of the Yatagarasu, helping to create the clan system and the New Ducat, a currency that came to be widely accepted. As the Yatagarasu prospered, a network of supply chains and retail outlets developed as well. The retail operations were usually pawn shops or second-hand stores selling refurbished items from salvage and scavenging activities. The Yatagarasu even possessed a number of permanent space colonies, and occasionally claimed planets with low strategic or economic value (less chance of retaliation from the major powers).
During the War of Galactic Unification, the Yatagarasu frequently aided the nascent Galactic Republic in many ways with logistics, personnel, and even ships. After the War, the Yatagarasu formally became part of the Galactic Republic.
Code of Honor
Early on, the Yatagarasu developed an informal code of honor that was upheld as a quasi-legal system. Most of the clans were based around large ships or space habitats, so the captains of those ships were the primary enforcers of the code, as well as the leaders of the clans. Even if a violation of the code took place away from the ship, if the captain found out, usually some punishment would result. The Star Crows took their honor quite seriously, as it was often their primary possession in a time of scarce resources.
The code of honor was cobbled together from odd bits of law, codes from various criminal organizations, and the customs of a number of different cultures. No two clans had quite the same code, but some things were universal. Among the rules all the clans respected were the laws of shipboard combat originally instituted by the Planetary League. The Planetary League legal system served as the base for much of the Yatagarasu code.
Conflict between the clans was not uncommon, often centering on territory or resources. Since they included a substantial criminal element, this often resulted in open combat between clans. Even so, battle between clans almost always conformed to the code of honor. Frequently, this would result in a duel of honor between rivals (often resolved by combat to the death). More often than not, the weapons for such a duel were battleoids. If one of these conflicts became too large or damaging, the clan leaders most closely affected by the conflict would call a conference to resolve the dispute.
The Yatagarasu, generally, was open to all species, cultures, and religions, making it an important refuge for a number of groups oppressed by the Holy Empire of Man. Not all clans were accepting of all comers. Often, local cultures or religions would hold sway with the majority of a clan’s leadership, informing the selection of new members.
Since the authorities frequently cracked down on them, the Yatagarasu used a number of passwords, secret handshakes and other signs to identify one another. Smuggling, spying, and secrecy were common vocations among the ranks of the Star Crows.
Economy
During the War of the Empires, the Yata started minting its own currency. The New Ducat was typically worth about 10 imperial credits, and played an important role in the galaxy's informal economy.
The Yatagarasu operated a large number of businesses of various types, although their associations were typically not publicly advertised. They were also involved with smuggling, the black market and the informal economy.
Clans
There were two tiers of Clans in the Yatagarasu, inner clans and outer clans. The leaders of the inner clans formed an informal leadership council that acted as a governing body.
The clans were large organizations that spread out over extensive territories. On the local level, the clan centered around a Honcho, a council of respected members who led the local groups.
The Eight Inner Clans:
1) Clan Crow (the founding clan)
2) Clan Rat (often seen as the brains of the Yatagarasu)
3) Clan Trash Panda (specialized in scavenging)
4) Clan Magpie (seek out rare items and knowledge)
5) Clan Tardigrade (specialized in endurance)
6) Clan Fly (swift and agile)
7) Clan Packrat (they hoarded treasures and secrets)
8) Clan Cat (mysterious masters of theft and espionage)
Some notable outer Yatagarasu clans:
The Broken Hand was a Jovian crime family that joined the Yatagarasu after the Great Reckoning.
Yatagarasu Ships:
Catfish Charlie was a clan of scavengers based aboard a ship of the same name.
The Rat-king was a unique salvage ship cobbled together from other ships, and the flagship of Clan Rat.
Bases
As the Planetary League fell apart, some of its top scientists joined the Tardigrades and other groups that would form the base of the Yatagarasu. Among these were the inventors of the stellar barrier shield, the strongest shield technology in the galaxy. Using these advanced shields, the Yatagarasu were able to construct “Crow’s Nest” bases that orbited within the outer convective layers of stars. This proved to be both a highly defensible position and excellent camouflage, as the roiling stellar plasma enveloping the base foiled most attempts at detection. These bases were also able to harvest and store truly vast amounts of energy from the enveloping star. The disadvantage, of course, was that these bases could only be visited by ships with a stellar barrier field of their own, and these proved to be bulky, heavy, and expensive, limiting the relative utility of the Crows Nests.
The Planetary League Astrophysical Survey (PLAS)
History
The Planetary League Astrophysical Survey was founded in GSC 3, as the Planetary League was setting up to fully explore and inhabit the Solar system. The PLAS continued to explore and discover throughout the history of the Planetary League, with most of the remnants joining the Galactic Republic after the Great Reckoning.
Organization
The PLAS performed three basic types of mission:
Scout Missions generally consisted of a lone explorer in a fully automated ship, assisted by a crew of robots and an array of probes, exploring uncharted space.
Survey Missions had a small crew, usually 5-10 explorers including a handful of experts in different fields. Surveys would go into areas already explored by scouts in order to collect more detailed information, and possibly return some samples.
Expeditions were large missions, undertaken on capitol-sized ships with a crew of hundreds or thousands to do thorough, detailed study. Expeditions would often set up outposts in the areas they were studying, and frequently, a contingent of Tardigrades would go along to set up an outpost if the area showed potential for future development.
The PLAS was divided into five main branches, and with the exception of scouting missions, each mission would have at least one representative of each branch. The branches were (in descending order of power and prestige) Command, Tactical, Science, Operations and Logistics.
Command
The Command branch was ultimately responsible for the success of each mission, giving orders and coordinating the activities of the other branches. Because the PLAS was nominally a civilian agency, the command branch had an abbreviated set of ranks, consisting of only these nine: Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant, Lieutenant-Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Vice-Admiral, and Admiral. Most missions consisted of a single ship, so officers above the rank of Captain rarely saw any field duty. Occasionally a particularly large expedition with multiple ships would be led by a Commodore.
The chest, arms and holsters on the Command uniform were made of a smart fabric that would continually animate the star field to gradually shift over time. The right holster was typically used for a sidearm, while the left was generally used as pocket space for personal effects. The armbands contained versatile computer interfaces.
Tactical
The Tactical branch was responsible for defending the mission from threats and enemies both external and internal. From fighting battles with hostile alien forces, to throwing unruly crew-members in the brig, the Tactical branch protected the PLAS and its mission. The Tactical branch, like the Command branch, had an abbreviated rank structure, consisting of nine ranks: Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Master-Sergeant, Lieutenant, Major, Colonel, Brigadier-General, and General. Because the PLAS rarely sent expeditions of more than one ship, Tactical officers above the rank of Major were only rarely deployed.
The holsters on the Tactical uniform were used for sidearms and other tactical equipment. The entire uniform was made from a nano-engineered cloth that could harden on impact into fairly sturdy armor. The armbands were made of laminated plastanium, and were connected to a dedicated command and control network.
Science
The Science branch was responsible for the primary mission of the PLAS, to explore and discover the galaxy and its inhabitants. Scientists of nearly every discipline joined the PLAS in order to advance their fields, and their service was frequently rewarded, as the PLAS continually discovered new planets, life-forms, and even civilizations.
The arms and chest of the Science uniform contained a sophisticated electronic interface that could be used to connect the scientist's implanted neural interface to external sensors and equipment. The armbands contained sensors and data recorders, and the uniform's holsters were often converted to function as sample containers.
Operations
The Operations branch was responsible for engineering, maintenance, and generally keeping things running. In addition to engineering and maintenance, Operations also covered a number of other routine tasks, such as operating life support systems, hydroponics, cooking, and cleaning. Most medical staff (Nurses, Orderlies, and M.D.s) were considered part of the operations branch.
The arms and chest of the Operations uniform were made of an attractive, sparkly gold fabric engineered to repel dirt and stains. The holsters were generally used for personal effects, or the storage of small hand-tools, these would often be augmented with an external tool-belt for maintenance or engineering work. The armbands contained limited computer interfaces, one for personal use, and another for work assignments.
Logistics
The Logistics branch was responsible for keeping the mission supplied. Logistics personnel spent much of their time controlling the flow of supplies, making deliveries, and taking inventory. Very few life-forms served in this branch, as most of the work was typically done by robots.
The arms and chest of the Logistics uniform were green. The armbands contained a tracking device as well as a limited computer interface that could give work assignments. The holsters were used for storing manifests or small parcels.
Scouts
Scouts were technically part of the Command branch, but because they explored alone, were expected to have some training and experience in the duties of all the branches. Since they worked alone, scouts were utterly dependent on robots and AI to take care of their needs, and knowledge in these areas was considered vital to the scout's mission.
Rex Warburton, space scout. The Scout uniform was the most versatile and capable of any in the PLAS, containing numerous technologies to aid the scouts in their missions.
Notable Explorers
Ichigo Berwynne was a scout, he discovered Berwynne's Rift, and the Berwynne system at the other end. After this discovery, he retired from the PLAS to become governor of the Planetary League colony on Berwynne's Reach.
Zoe Bonnard was a flamboyant and prolific explorer. She rose up the ranks quickly, starting as a scout, and eventually leading many successful expedition missions. Discovered Bonnard's World, Shoji, and Bonnard's End, among many others.
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