Crimsonstar/Star Brigade
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
History of the Star Brigade
Contents |
The attack of the Axerian Empire
With the end of Xantes Kairin’s reign, the Andromedan worlds that make up the Kairin Empire restructured their entire political and social organization. The authority of the emperor’s position was modified and a new ruling council of elders that were to act on behalf of the interests of their respective worlds was established. Unrestricted travel and commerce was heavily encouraged and the newly restructured Kairin Empire began to thrive as its inhabitants began to mend the wounds of decades long galactic war. All that changed in the second year of the new regime.
A new threat from the far reach of the Andromeda galaxy found its way into the Kairin Empire in the form of the Axerian Armada. The Axerian Empire had come into power several years before the races of the Andromedan galaxy began their own series of interstellar wars and had begun their own plans of expansion during the fifth year of Igarr Kairin’s reign. Their war fleet ironically arrived on the edge of the Kairin Empire even as the Andromeda population was revolting against Xantes Kairin.
The new Kairin Empire had stressed the integration of its people leaving the defense of their Empire up to each individual planet. It was a decision that quickly proved disastrous. The decades long galactic wars had cost all of the Andromedan planets immensely even before Igaar Kairin seized power and with the overthrow of Xantes Kairin, many if not all of the Andromedan worlds had simply long ago exhausted any means to defend themselves against attacks from outside their own star system. The Axerian Armada first arrived at Andromeda 16 and quickly launched their assault forces. Andromeda 16 was ill equipped to stave off the invasion and within hours the Axerians had taken control of an estimated sixty percent of Andromeda 16 and its resources.
Word of the conquest of Andromeda 16 made its way quickly through the rest of the Empire by those few individuals that had made it off-world in the early stage of the Axerian invasion. Galic Tarrin, the newly appointed Emperor, met with the Council Elders of the Kairin Empire in an emergency session to plan their next move. He quickly proposed that any available star craft had to be immediately deployed to Andromeda 16 in an effort to not only reclaim the planet, but force the Axerian forces out of the Kairin Empire. Andromeda 9 had the largest remaining fleet of viable warships and he further proposed that it be at the forefront of the attack with support by whatever star craft the other Andromeda worlds could offer.
While his proposal for confronting the Axerians was unimaously agreed upon, the methods of carrying out the plan was met with great resistance. The Council Elder of Andromeda 9, Denys San, argued that they had no guarantee that the only invading force was at Andromeda 16 and that there could be attacks from the Axerians in other regions of the empire. Sending their war ships to Andromeda 16 could leave his own planet defenseless should the Axerians attack there. San’s was the first dissenting voice in the Emperor’s plan but was quickly followed by the others of the Council who also expressed fear that their planets could be attacked while what meager defenses they had were gone aiding Andromeda 16. The Council Elders and the Emperor debated this for days allowing the Axerian foothold on Andromeda 16 to grow even stronger. Their only saving grace during this time was that despite being a star faring race, the Axerians still thought three dimensionally in regards to space travel and moved in a linear progression in the systems they overtook.
All contact with Andromeda 16 was lost on the third day of the Axerian occupation until three weeks later, world was received of the approach of the Axerian Armada in orbit around Andromeda 15. Andromeda 15 had not developed its own indigenous life forms and was instead one of the worlds slated for colonization by the Kairin Empire to foster growth. It was no match for the onslaught of the Axerian’s and fell to them within only a few hours. All of the Andromedan people that had relocated to colonize Andromeda 15 lost their lives.
The loss of Andromeda 15 while tragic was the catalyst that spurred the Council of Elders to implement the Emperor’s proposed plan. With Andromeda 15 so easily taken, the Axerian’s were sure to move on Andromeda 14 next. Andromeda 14 was one of the more productive worlds of the Empire and accounted for twenty five percent of the raw materials used throughout the Kairin Empire. Losing it would spell certain doom for the Kairin Empire. Within a day any and all war capable star craft convened in orbit around Andromeda 3, but both the Council Elders and the Emperor knew it wouldn’t be enough. Many of the star craft were old and undermanned, and those that were at full strength still had many inexperienced crew members. Most had to learn their duties on the way to Andromeda 14 where they hoped to make a stand against the Axerian Armada.
The assembled fleet of the Kairin Empire lay in orbit around Andromeda 14 awaiting the arrival of the Axerian Armada, and as predicted, the first glow of their star engines were spotted six days after the conquest of Andromeda 15. The Axerian Armada was much larger than they had believed and on their first attack wave, nearly half of the Andromedan ships were destroyed. The rest of the Andromedan fleet fell back wondering what their next move would be certain that the next attack wave would finish both the remaining ships and the Kairin Empire. As the Axerian Armada closed ranks, their ship’s scanners picked up signatures of a second group of star craft entering the area from the far side of Andromeda 14’s orbit. Suddenly a massive fleet of star destroyers passed the small Andromeda fleet and engaged the approaching Axerian Armada. Unlike the dark, battle scarred ships of the Axerian’s, these ships were decorated in bright colors of gold, white and blue with none of the ships showing signs of having ever taken damage in battle. They dispatched the Axerian’s with as much ease as the Axerian’s had done the Andromedan’s just moments before. The Davem Consortium had arrived.
Arrival of the Davem Consortium and the arming of the Kairin Empire.
The Davem Consortium were a peculiar group to the Andromedans in that they weren’t so much a race of beings or empire, but a business. Their sole existence seemed to thrive on the designing of starships and armament for young star faring races, of which they viewed the Andromedans as being one of these races. The Davem Consortium claimed to be over a thousand years old with locations in hundred of galaxies across the universe. A day after their so called ‘saviour fleet’ arrived at Andromeda 14, the Daven Consortium was granted an audience with the Emperor and the Council Elders to discuss the plans of designing new starships and armament for the Kairin Empire. The Davem Consortium prided themselves on the self made claim that they had designed and provided schematics for new star fleets for over six hundred star faring races and that no two designs looked alike. Over a period of two years the Davem Consortium not only designed and constructed the first ships that would become the star fleet of the Kairin Empire, but also provided all the necessary training in their operation. Their aid didn’t stop there as the Davem Consortium supplied full schematics for dozens of different class ships, education and training on their construction, on efficient star drive engines and star system navigation and mapping along with full geographical mapping of the Andromedan worlds that would best provide the materials needed for the new Andromedan fleet.
This was not the only assistance the Davem Consortium brought to the Kairin Empire. In a private session with the Emperor and Council Elders, they revealed a universal truth that they had learned millennia ago. Just as the Andromedans were living, thinking, feeling beings, so too were the stars, planets, and in fact, the very universe itself. Every living thing was tied to every other living thing and all life could strengthen or weaken each other. Even as one man or woman could help or hinder another, so could the stars. The Davem Consortium introduced to the Andromedans the science of star implants, in which one could actually harness a minute piece of a living star and bond it with another living being. They referred to the process as ‘sharing of life’ and a piece of star matter would be traded with a piece of the individual who received it. This translated as a piece of star matter would be implanted into the frontal lobe of an individual’s brain in exchange for a small piece of their frontal lobe being offered to the star. The Davem Consortium assured the Andromedans that while this science they revealed sounded fatal it was safe with wondrous results. Those results became evident to the Andromedans years later when they learned that the star implant seemed to grant their recipient fantastic abilities and powers. While the reason for this remains undetermined, Andromedan scientists believe the sudden influx of energy from the star implant forces a genetic reconstruction of the recipient resulting in the manifestation of the powers. The powers gained vary considerably and it is theorized that the powers are related to the personality and psyche of the implant recipient. The one constant they have found in the powers of the star implant recipients is that every subject gains the ability to fly under their own power.
The next surprising move of the Davem Consortium was that they asked for no monetary compensation for the aid they had given. When the issue of payment was approached the Davem Consortium simply said; ‘You will know the means of payment when the time arrives.’ Some have theorized that the aiding of Earth in their war against the Rikti was the form of payment while others have stated that they have yet to see what the Davem Consortium will require of them.
Formation of the Star Brigade.
Three years after the invasion by the Axerian Empire, the people of the Davem Consortium left the Andromeda galaxy with very little fanfare. They simply all returned to their ships and left. The Council of Kairin Elders and the Emperor quickly formed a plan to establish a new organization for the dual purpose of safeguarding their empire and future exploration of the Andromeda galaxy. Recruitment for its members would come from all the worlds of the Kairin Empire and anyone wishing to join this new organization was encouraged to apply. The turnout for this organization was greater then either the Council Elders or the Emperor had expected and within months hundreds of thousands Andromedan citizens found themselves relocating and entering into an extensive training program.
Due to his previous military training and having voiced the strongest concern of the safety of the Kairin Empire during the Axerian invasion, Denys San, Council Elder of Andromeda 9, was selected by his Council peers to head up this new organization. At the time of his appointment he decided to acknowledge their newfound truth of the relation of all life tied together in the universe taught to them by the Davem Consortium and proposed a name for their new organization, The Star Brigade. The name was met with unanimous approval and soon The Star Brigade opened their first offices next to the government offices of the Kairin Empire.
Denys San went to work quickly and requested Governmental Officiates of three other Andromedan worlds to join The Star Brigade as his command staff. Two weeks later, Denys San and his command staff presented to the Council Elders and the Emperor the rules and regulations that would become the charter for the Star Brigade. While the proposed charter underwent many revisions and amendments, one item in particular caught all those involved by surprise.
Emperor Galic Tarrin, proposed the addition of Executive Order Epsilon to the charter which stated that the Council of Kairin Empire by majority vote could empower the Star Brigade to remove the Emperor from power. This order was aggressively protested by the Council but Emperor Tarrin logically argued that none of them could predict the future and that the Kairin Empire needed safeguards in the event another Emperor tried to seize absolute power. While the Articles of the Kairin Empire provided for a division of power and ruling structure it needed to have a military alternative in the event diplomacy failed. Both the Council of Elders and Denys Sans reluctantly agreed that Emperor Tarrin’s arguments were valid and Executive Order Epsilon was drafted into the Star Brigade charter.
The Implementation of Ranks within the Star Brigade.
The Star Brigade grew at a phenomenal rate. Denys Sans and his three command officers found themselves quickly growing overworked and unable to keep up with the sheer amount of Andromedan citizens wanting to join the Brigade. The lure of travel to other worlds within the Kairin Empire and possibly beyond was a powerful inducement. By the second year the Star Brigade found it’s headquarters understaffed and overpopulated. Denys Sans soon realized they would have to either expand their operations, or start turning people away. It was just Denys and his three officers trying to coordinate the training, living quarters, and assignments of well over twenty thousand individuals. Not only did they have the influx of people to contend with, but the planning and construction of additional ships for the Brigade’s fleet was also on their list of duties. More and more Star Brigade members were finding themselves without an assignment after their induction and training.
Denys and his officers decided that the Star Brigade was getting too big to base operations on just Andromeda 3 and that additional offices and training facilities were urgently needed. The problem was who would oversee these new facilities? There was too much for them to coordinate on just Andromeda 3, sending even one of them to head up new locations would only complicate the situation. The need for a structured officer rank system for the Brigade was evident. Denys and the officers implemented a new rank order for the Star Brigade while also gaining permission from the Council Elders to establish Star Brigade offices on Andromeda’s 9 and 14. In keeping with the naming convention of the Star Brigade, it was decided that the officer ranks would also be named after stellar bodies. Denys and his officers drafted the rank system as presented below.
Nova Head of Star Brigade operations and only one ever in office. He chooses his successor from the ranks of the active Red Giants when his service to Star Brigade ends. Denys Sans was placed at this rank
Red Giant Five are in this position at any one time. Denys Sans’ three command officers were placed at this rank and within two months of their founding the rank system they appointed two more.
Quasar Number of Quasars in active service varies from sixty to eighty individuals at any one time.
Pulsar Number of Pulsars in active service varies from one to two hundred at any one time.
Crimsonstar Number of active Crimsonstars in active service varies from three to five hundred at any one time.
Cluster
White Dwarf
Comet The number of active Cluster, White Dwarfs, and Comets in active service varies from six to ten thousand at any one time.
Star All Star Brigade entrants are automatically ranked as Star. There are currently ninety thousand active Star ranks in service.
Black Hole This is a rank that was not originally included in the first draft of the Star Brigade ranks. It is reserved for those Star Brigade members that have disgraced the Brigade. It is the same as a dishonorable discharge.
The Application of star implants in the Star Brigade
Although The Devam Consortium had shared with the Kairin Empire the science of implanting star matter directly in the cerebral cortex of individuals and the resulting powers gained by those who underwent the operation, nothing was done with it beyond the few test subjects that had volunteered for the implant. It wasn’t feasible to allow everyone that wished it a star implant and the matter of having a race of super beings troubled the Council of Elders. The Star Brigade provided a solution for the Council Elders of how to utilize the star implant knowledge they had been given. Neither the Council Elders or Star Brigade command could dispute the fact that having members of the Brigade with exceptional abilities would be to their advantage, but again the question of who should receive the implants came into focus. It was just as costly to provide star implants for all the Brigade members as it would be for the general Andromedan population. Upon further review of the Star Brigade rank structure, it was determined that the rank of Crimsonstar was the first rung towards an administrative path of command in the Star Brigade while still being active in the field. Also, the promotion numbers further up the chain of command became smaller and for many Star Brigade members, the White Dwarf rank would be the highest level they attained. Since promotion to Crimsonstar rank implied future advancement, it was decided that that rank would be the level where a Star Brigade officer would automatically be offered a star implant. The star implant program for promoted Crimsonstar’s began a year later with the promotion of Danses Brin, the first officer promoted to Crimsonstar after the adoption of the star implant policy.
