Xeptatl's Sword (Organisations and Characters)
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Organisations
Xeptatl Society
The Xeptatl Society was established in the year 2853 shortly after the first Thargoid attempt to invade GalCop space. The Society's origins are shrouded in mystery but rumour is that Xeptatl was a Thargoid dissident opposed to the dominant faction's intentions to colonise the inhabited worlds.
He saw this plan as destabilising and a threat to the Thargoid species, who although militarily strong and technologically advanced were relatively small in number. He believed that a full-scale war was more likely to lead to the destruction of the Thargoid empire than give the Thargoids the resources they would need to expand.
In 2852 Xeptatl and his clan defected to GalCop space where he formed an alliance with one of the insectoid races. A year later the Xeptatl Society was formed to monitor Thargoid activity and develop countermeasures that could be employed in the event of a full-scale assault. The Society was incorporated as a charity and set up a business arm to ensure adequate and reliable funding.
Xeptatl passed away in 2857, and many records were lost or destroyed at this time as his successors believed that a direct link with the Thargoids might prove troublesome in future years. As a result of this the Society's early years are not well documented.
The Society generally keeps a low profile to the point where few people have even heard of it, but it has grown into a large and influential organisiation with Headquarters at Estebiin in Galaxy 6, several interstellar research facilities, and Monitoring Stations in many systems. Many of their facilities are situated in the Lost Worlds, the systems which are isolated from the main Galactic thoroughfares.
They have many Agents who have a wide range of duties including monitoring, surveillance and espionage. Their well-equiped Cobra S9s are occassionally seen by other Commanders most commonly near the Suns of populated systems where the Society's Monitor Stations are normally situated.
The Xeptatl Society adopted a Red and Yellow feather as their symbol in 2858, although the reason for this choice is unknown.
When wormhole technology was discovered, the human race exploded outwards from the madness of ruined, massively overpopulated Terra (this had been the driving force behind the waves of generation ships). Rapidly colonising planet after planet, mankind spread throughout the Orion arm of the galaxy. In many cases, entire tribes or ethnic groups claimed whole planets, and imported their way of life and beliefs from Terra.
One such planet was Zaeredre, a green and pleasant world in a backwater sector that was to become known as the 'eight', and here arrived the remnants of the British people (an ethnically mixed, but somewhat reserved and insular race), who established a constitutional monarchy, in memory of a once-glorious imperial past. The first monarch of their new world was Her Imperial Majesty Queen Elizabeth XIV, descendant of a long line of so-called aristocracy, and it was she, in her royal wisdom, who established a small space navy - there was no GalCop at this time, and much uncertainty.
Neighbouring systems saw the benefits of this navy, and slowly, system by system, they all signed up for the security this offered them, and Her Imperial Majesty's Space Navy (HIMSN) gradually expanded and spread throughout the eight. When the Confederation of Feline Worlds was established some years later, the two forces forged what was to become an enduring alliance between humans and felines. After a period of stability, Erehwon, the gateway system that connected the eight to the rest of the Orion arm, went nova and all contact with Sol was lost, and the alliance came into it's own. Within fifteen standard years, they had established the Galactic Co-operative of Worlds, destined to become the main provider of system security, and the sole regulator of trade, throughout the eight, for centuries to come. The Thargoid invasion of 2851 forced GalCop to accept that a co-ordinated Military branch was needed, and they took the decision to form and mobilise a Galactic Navy. Their first step was to approach the handful of systems and sectors that already had Navies established. Some were keen to merge their forces with the new Galactic Navy, others less so.
HIMSN was one of those who decided against integration, instead opting to station a liason officer at GalCop Command and each Galactic Navy Sec-com station. This arrangement works well, allowing both Galactic Navy and HIMSN to operate independently while co-ordinating closely.
While Galactic Navy is keen to recruit reserves, HIMSN tends to draw its personnel from the Worlds and sectors it originated in, but has been known to selectively approach experienced Commanders for Special Ops missions.
The above is an adapted extract from the Oolite fiction Kaxgar by Cody, and is used with kind permission of the Author.
Black Mambas
The Black Mambas are a well-organised and particularly fearsome pirate clan who operate several fleets around the 'Eight'. They take their name from the black-painted Mamba fighters they favour and anyone coming across these brigands can expect no mercy. The fleets normally have a Boa 2 as the mothership acting in a Command and Control capacity, and as a repository for any collected booty.
They would rather die than give up their treasure, and there has been at least one occassion when they are known to have deployed a long-fuse Q-bomb when a large force of GalCop Vipers overwhelmed one of the fleets. This resulted in the destruction of the entire GalCop squadron and the remainder of the Black Mamba fleet!
G5TVN
G5TVN is a down-market news channel in Galaxy Five. It specialises in sensationalism and celebrity culture and has a strong anti-establishment bias. Its trashy programming is however very popular and it regularly gets double the audience of it's much more respectable rival GNN.
G5TVN's main news anchor is Blarny Crudd, a sarcastic purple Lobstoid, who is well known for his rants against authority in general, and GalCop in particular.
Dramatis Personae
Pratzel Twet
Twet is an espionage officer for the Xeptatl Society. His task is to gather intelligence and get this to the Society as quickly as possible. Normally this would be done through the Society's internal systems but in urgent situations and emergencies he is authorised to approach selected civilians who are willing and able to assist.
Drot Malangy
Malangy is a Human and is the Xeptatl Society Chief Scientist. He is in his 50s and his tall, wirey frame and neatly trimmed beard give him a very distinguished look. Malangy is normally based at the Society's Headquarters at Estebiin in Galaxy 6. He has two Doctorates, in Physics and Mathematics.
Prollykanteraprillito (Prolly)
Prolly is a Xeptatl Society Senior Agent based at Ditere in Galaxy 3. She is the Galactic Supervisor for Galaxy Three and has offices at Ditere Main station. Prolly is a large black Feline, and is well known within the Xeptatl Society for her bravery. She is known to have had a partner and family but it is thought they were killed when the ship they were travelling in was attacked and destroyed by a Thargoid Warship at Leera in Galaxy 6 around ten years ago.
Scritt Yuraku
The Society Agent at Dioris in Galaxy Five, Yuraku is a green Bird, and is viewed as a bit of a dandy by his colleagues. He is always immaculately preened and, unusually for an Avian, often wears a smock coat and hat.
Trochandy Reater
Reater is Human, and has Senior Agent rank for the Society and is the Society's Superindendant for the Rift Worlds. He is based at Onteised Main station.
Jhoni Timms
Timms is a blue Rodent, and is the Society Agent at Oresrati. He is considered eccentric by his colleagues and is thought of as a bit of a 'loner', but he is known to enjoy his position in the Eights' most isolated system.
Triuo Samms
Samms is a Senior Agent for the Society and is the Galactic Supervisor for Galaxy One. She is based at Leesti Main station but also has a laboratory at the Leesti monitor station, where she spends much of her time. Samms is a green Mantoid, one of the Insectoid species.
Petre Grum
Grum is Human, has Senior Agent rank for the Society and is the Society's liason officer at the Academy. He is based at Lave Main station.
Blarny Crudd
Crudd is a purple Lobstoid, and is the main news anchor for G5TVN, a down-market tele-video news channel in Galaxy Five. He is notorious for his loud and brash style, and his mis-trust of authority.
Commodore Fortesque
Fortesque is a high-flying officer of her Imperial Majesty's Space Navy. He is considered very able and has a string of successful campaigns behind him, and has been decorated several times.
His career has not always gone smoothly, despite his obvious talents, and some unfortunate but significant failures have had an adverse affect on his rise through the ranks. While many believe he should have achieved Rear Admiral rank by now, others were surprised when he was promoted to Commodore last year.
Links
- Xeptatl's Sword - for the OXP
- Xeptatl's Sword (Ships, Stations and Objects)
