Nova Corporation (Branding)

The enigmatic Nova Corporation is a galaxy-spanning conglomerate established in a wide array of industries. Nova have profited immensely from the Great War, remaining neutral but partaking in extensive contract work with the military and civilian sectors of Peacekeeper and Warlord races alike. Despite Nova Corp's prolific branding and significant political influence, very little is known about those in control of the corporation. Although most will recognise the Nova name from its seemingly innocuous forays into salvage, logistics and mining, the organisation conducts far more nefarious activity behind the scenes.

At first glance it might be difficult to tell that any part of Nova Corporation’s dealings are illicit; after all, their contracts are watertight, their cheques never bounce and their lawyers are faultless. The reality is that, behind their business façade, Nova are one of the universe’s largest organised crime syndicates and most powerful players in interstellar politics.

The organisation is variably referred to as Nova Corporation, as Nova Corp, as simply Nova or by its consumer-facing brand name, NOVA.

Divisions and Subsidiaries
The expansion of Nova Corporation’s commercial empire and the proliferation of their brand across the galaxy has been abetted by their highly diversified business model. The conglomerate is involved in a variety of industries, always under the ubiquitous household name of Nova.

Consumer Products Division
To their clients in powerful positions of authority, Nova Corporation are synonymous with espionage, sabotage and professional violence. To the general public, the friendly face of Nova Corporation is one of a mainstream consumer brand. The Consumer Products Division – or simply NOVA to its patrons – are a familiar presence on many colonies and trade satellites across the galaxy. Dealing in everything from personal defence weapons to nail clippers, the CPD has taken root in the popular subconscious and it is rare to find anyone who is not familiar with them or their catchy jingle on the worlds they inhabit.

Nova Corporation’s dealings with imperial governments and (alleged) liberal use of corporate espionage have given them the edge they need to monopolise many areas of the consumer market. Customers of thousands of species participate in their rewards programme which incentivises them to use NOVA as their one-stop-shop for all of their everyday needs. This has provided an excellent veil for Nova Corporation’s more insidious dealings because their reputation as a budget retailer is so pervasive that hearsay about their involvement in organised crime and war profiteering is laughable to most.

Private Security Division
The euphemistically named Private Security Division is the mercenary wing of Nova Corporation and the most controversial element of the Nova business model known to the public. Efficient, populous, and notoriously expensive, Nova Corporation mercenaries can be found in all manner of disputes across the galaxy, provided they are ones which can be resolved with the copious application of violence. Nova’s success in the mercenary industry can be attributed to their propensity to accept missions most organisations would not touch. No job is too unethical or dangerous; from destroying unarmed diplomatic vessels to capturing live Biomatter specimens for study.

The hired guns who comprise the PSD’s ranks are an assortment of exiles and traitors to their races, dishonourably discharged veterans, killers who want nothing more than the opportunity to inflict destruction and cold-hearted hitmen in it for the credits. Nova Corporation employs mercenaries from almost any species in the universe; even members of Peacekeeper or Warlord races can be found among the ranks, provided they are willing to risk life and limb for imbursement. The past lives of these individuals are immaterial to the organisation, so long as they are capable of doing the job. Mercenaries who generate a profit for Nova Corporation can expect an illustrious career in the PSD but those who lack the talents or the guts are quickly ejected from the enterprise.

The PSD’s clients are just as varied as their personnel, including businesses looking to sabotage the competition, alien empires needing to bolster their armies or just individuals desiring protection as they cross the galaxy. The division’s involvement in the Great War is widespread. A devious Zaretian general might employ Nova mercenaries to act as cannon fodder. A worrisome Luminarian commander might require hired guns to go behind enemy lines. PSD personnel do the missions they are paid to do, whether they like it or not. The work may be dangerous and the number of casualties may be high, but there will always be someone more desperate willing to take the job.

Mercenaries
Nova Corporation’s mercenary population is not dissimilar to a task force in a conventional army. Employees are arranged in small groups formally known as squads who travel aboard the same starship and undertake missions together. The members of a squad must learn to live alongside each other in confined spaces, work together as a team to overcome the challenges they face and learn to come to terms with the normalcy of their comrades dying in action. It is a dangerous and dirty occupation and those who are not adequate for the role quickly resign from it if they are not killed on-mission first. Mercenaries who demonstrate unparalleled skill and tactical insight on the other hand can become richer than they could ever hope to become from civilian work.

Although the mercenary force is constantly replenishing, all of its employees are expected to follow their contracts to the letter, regardless of what deeds they might entail. By their nature, mercenary squads are compartmentalised and ultimately expendable. Mercenaries have minimal contact with others outside of their immediate squad and almost never meet anyone more than one rung up the managerial ladder. Orders are usually given remotely using signal proxies which inhibit tracking. Details which might incriminate the corporation’s management are kept guarded and anyone who gets too curious has their contract terminated, usually with no trace of them to be found. On account of the organisation's shadowy dealings, verifiable details on its leaders are hard to come by and rumours are abundant.

Recruitment
To maximise mercenary squad efficacy in the wide range of missions they embark upon, the PSD intentionally diversify their crews in terms of species, roles and specialist skills. Squads who engage in more niche work or further afield in the galaxy typically supply their own armour and weaponry, allowing them to respond to challenges as they believe they are best suited. In more conventional or public operations, such as bodyguard work for important public figures or terrestrial security posting, mercenaries are expected to wear the company's yellow and grey uniforms and use company-produced weapons. Nova Corporation's aggressively consistent brand identity is a pillar of their successful business model, although one disliked by many of their mercenary employees. Even more unpopular is the fact that when mercenaries are expected to wear official uniforms and carry official firearms, they are required to purchase them from the company themselves.

Species from which the Private Security Division have been known to recruit (but are not necessarily limited to) include:
 * Asanian
 * Aumpnuuk
 * Betel
 * Chromorum
 * Crai'tal
 * Delani
 * Diabloian
 * Euskanian
 * Gronian
 * Human
 * Karahotdoum
 * Kastalian
 * Khasii
 * Necraal
 * Nepharian
 * Rach
 * Remusian
 * Repzork
 * Sauran
 * Skrey
 * Wingle
 * Xeverra
 * Zaretian
 * Zulvokaria

A list of known Private Security Division squads can be found here.

Terrestrial Vehicles
Nova Corporation designs and manufactures most of the vehicles it uses in its interstellar merecenary operations but outside of the public eye squads are given free reign to use whatever technology they have at their disposal.

Vehicles produced by the Private Security Division for their own activity include:

Jet-Setter Mark I Battlesuit
After more than ten years of development hell, the Jet-Setter Battlesuit of designed-by-committee (and named-by-committee) reputation was released to the public. Although the Mark I is available as a premium product to the corporation’s customers, they are most frequently seen bolstering Nova’s mercenary squads while sporting the company’s official colours.

The battlesuit is a jack-of-all trades, no doubt because of the fact that nearly forty different people had a say in its specifications. It is able to engage ground infantry in conventional terrestrial combat but can additionally engage aerial opposition with the intent of preventing enemy forces’ planetfall. The Battlesuit is equipped with a ballistic minigun attachment on its right arm and can fire Orlian missile pods which track enemy vehicles. It also has internal speakers for playing music.

K11 Scout Buggy
Small, agile and resilient, the K11 Scout Buggy is ideal for exploring alien worlds, tracking down targets or fleeing the scene of an illegal operation. The buggy boasts independent suspension for each of its four wheels and can switch between two-wheel and four-wheel drive at the touch of a button to interchangeably speed across flat land or scale steep slopes.

On account of its high off-road mobility and small frame, the Scout Buggy is often the first unit to be deployed by the Private Security Division in hostile territory. It seats only one person and can be deployed directly from a Hydra while airborne, meaning that one mercenary can be covertly dropped into a hot zone to chart the area while the rest of the squad deploys elsewhere.

During the preliminary tests of Nova Corporation’s Scout Buggy design, the K11’s precursive prototype was originally fitted with a front-mounted ballistic rifle. In the prototype’s field tests, engineers discovered that the Scout Buggy’s chassis was so lightweight that even the smallest mounted ballistic turrets would generate enough recoil to flip the buggy over. The K11’s finalised and mass-produced design eschews any weaponry at all, minimising its weight and reserving its role for reconnaissance excursions where it is not expected to engage enemies directly.

The K11's dorsal bar is typically used for attaching practical peripherals such as headlamps, scanners or small cargo racks. Mercenaries who are sick of the tedium of security work on backwater colonies have been known to use it for extreme sports instead; hanging on to it while the Scout Buggy drives at high speed for an exhilarating and often calamitous thrill.

K83 Cargo Transporter
The K83 is a terrestrial vehicle equipped with a large cargo bed for short-haul cargo transport. It is primarily use for hauling equipment and ammunition on off-world missions. The cargo bed is fitted with electromagnets which can hold cargo in place while in motion. The bed is of modular design and alternative auxiliary components such as retractable weapons, additional seats or long-range communications technology can be fitted to its base for specialised operations. The K83 can accommodate a driver and one passenger but can seat additional passengers if the cargo bed is fitted with a people-carrier module.

The K83 is only lightly armoured and offers little protection from small arms fire. It is intended to operate in cooler areas of a combat zone where supplies can be imported or exported. The driver and passenger sit side-by-side in front but in some instances the K83 is modified to remove the passenger seat and accommodate additional space inside the cab. K83 Cargo Transporters are employed by non-combat personnel in other branches of Nova Corporation, such as terrestrial Mining Division work and Extraplanetary Salvage Division operations in-atmosphere (such as on derelicts which have crashed planetside).

The Private Security Division operate a driving school for mercenaries and those who show aptitude at controlling terrestrial vehicles under high-stress situations are granted company licences to operate the K11 Scout Buggy in the field. Those who do not demonstrate such aptitude get to drive the K83 Cargo Transporter instead.

K95 Armoured Personnel Carrier
The K95 was designed with the intention of providing a high-mobility and high-protection component to the Private Security Division’s mostly on-foot mercenary infantry units. Functioning primarily as a mass-transport vehicle for small groups of Nova Corp mercenaries, the K95 makes an effective escort for deploying ground troops into enemy territory where they would otherwise be vulnerable. Its hull is armoured enough to provide survivability against direct small-arms fire, withstand high drops and stay upright even when in proximity to explosions. The K95 is typically not equipped with any extraneous weaponry because otherwise its deployment on client colonies would be contentious. Instead, drivers are advised to take the 'practical option' of driving the vehicle over enemy troops.

The K95’s suspension and AI-assisted steering system makes it excellent in both on and off-road situations, allowing it to adapt to extreme terrain and to extricate itself from areas with low manoeuvrability thanks to its six independently reversible wheels. It can scale up to a 65 percent incline and traverse a 35 percent slope. Since PSD mercenaries may be required to fight on worlds with extremely hazardous climates, the K95 is environmentally sealed, temperature controlled and sufficiently waterproofed to drive through waters of up to 2.5 metres.

Up to six passengers can ride in the vehicle at a time (not including the driver) but the number of seats can be decreased to make space for cargo in specific situations, such as a mission to escort a precious payload which would be exposed and vulnerable on the back of a K83 Cargo Transporter. The most widely-criticised aspect of the K95 is its mechanised doors at its rear which are so heavily armoured they have a tendency to jam shut, trapping the mercenaries inside. This has earned the K95 the derisive nickname "the armoured coffin". In their characteristic effort to never take the expensive option, Nova Corp elected not to fix this flaw on all of the existing K95s and instead issued mercenary squads each with an extraction rig normally used by the salvage division to pry open the hulls of crashed spacecraft.

Extraterrestrial Vehicles
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HASLR Patrol Craft
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Hydra Light Frigate
The Hydra is a light frigate class of starship manufactured and deployed by the Nova Corporation. They are the most abundant ship in the Private Security Division’s space arsenal on account of the fact that their FTL capability can transport mercenary squads across systems but they can also quickly deploy on terrestrial missions too. Hydras are also employed to escort convoys of Nova Corp ships with minimal or no armaments whatsoever, such as salvager ships, cargo ships and mining ships.

The Hydra is equipped to defend itself against smaller and more manoeuvrable craft, particularly small pirate vessels. Its laser weapons are near-instantaneous and computer-assisted, allowing it to target small hit-and-run assailants like the Nalstros Triclaw Starfighter against which it would otherwise be indefensible. The Hydra’s lack of plasma-based weaponry makes it ineffective against larger and more heavily-armoured opponents.

The ship possesses a medical bay, a cargo hold and crew quarters which can accommodate up to sixteen. It is optimised for both expedient and sustained terrestrial deployment, thanks to its four deployment chutes which can safely lower a mercenary to a planet’s surface in seconds and its cargo hold which can accommodate multiple ground vehicles. The Hydra is also kitted out with a subspace FTL drive, a shield generator, three escape pods and two laser cannons.

Mining Division
The Mining Division is a branch of Nova Corporation responsible for collecting resources which are used in the manufacture of their industrial and engineering ventures. The majority of mining operations are conducted in space, such as asteroid cracking and mining natural gas from gas giants. Nova Corp also engages in conventional terrestrial mining, particularly of precious metals on small moons. While the primary function of the Mining Division is to support the conglomerate’s internal manufacturing, it is also a profit-making organisation and sells resources to empires or other interstellar corporations.

In their continuing mission to expand their operations across the galaxy, Nova Corporation Mining Division have developed a self-perpetuating industrial model whereby the raw materials they recover are used to build power plants, refineries and pipelines on new worlds which then harvest more materials and enable more infrastructure. Although much of the work the division conducts is on unclaimed, uninhabited planets, Nova Corp actively seeks out contracts with alien governments to begin work on inhabited worlds too. As Nova Corporation’s reach has extended, the Mining Division has absorbed imperial and inter-species companies alike to establish a "cradle-to-grave corporate experience" for their employees.

Labourers
Labourers of the Mining Divisions hail from an assortment of backgrounds. Low-skilled and terrestrial work is primarily conducted by freelancers who reside on-site for the duration of their contract. High-skilled and extraplanetary work is usually performed by full-time employees of the corporation. The division recruits many pilots to operate mining vehicles in space. Many pilots who apply to fly for the Private Security Division but fail to meet the standard required are referred to the significantly less demanding work in the Mining Division.

The Mining Division maintains numerous subsidiaries that operate in alien civilisations to recruit workers to staff their facilities. Among these are academies which provide job-related education opportunities which funnel graduates into skilled roles in the division, thereby maintaining a qualified incoming workforce. This is invaluable for Nova’s efforts when establishing mining initiatives on brand new worlds because they are able to do so and keep almost all operations performed completely in-house, creating consumers out of their own employees. This system has drawn criticism, in no small part because Nova Corporation’s decision to target early space-fairing races new to the galactic community has garnered them a wealth of fresh alien contractors eager to visit space and engage in alien cultures. Many of these new contractors are sent to harsh, isolated worlds to work for long contract durations, a practice some have described as misleading and exploitative.

Nova have also received scrutiny for their abuse of a contractual loophole whereby miners on their colonies can have their salaries paid in a virtual currency only redeemable in Nova Corporation's own outlets. This is particularly questionable for mining initiatives in more remote systems wherein the only place for miners to spend their wages is on the mining base itself, effectively locking them to their job forever because they would be bankrupted should they leave.

Extraplanetary Salvage Division
The ESD is a subsidiary responsible for salvage of starship and satellite wreckages in space. The services they offer clients include evacuation, cargo recovery, towing or effecting repairs of stranded or damaged craft. The division also engages in ethically dubious non-contract private salvage for which they have received scrutiny and criticism by consumer interest groups. Interstellar laws surrounding non-contract salvage are notoriously lax in many parts of the galaxy and, outside of imperial borders, salvors are free to act with impunity. The crews of many private craft have been relieved when ESD salvors have responded to their distress calls only to then receive a hefty charge for their rescue. Crews who will not or can not pay are typically still towed to the nearest safe location but a lien is placed on their craft whereby they forfeit possession of it to Nova Corporation until they can settle their debt. Although this practice has been likened to extortion and piracy, it has enabled Nova Corp to steadily generate profit and expand its fleet with new starships.

The division also engages in the salvage of derelict craft to acquire materials or technology onboard. Many of such craft are wreckages resulting from conflicts in the Great War and it is not uncommon for ESD trawlers to pick through the aftermath of skirmishes for anything worth selling back to the combatants’ empires or to third parties. Salvaging a military vessel without the permission of its owner is usually illegal and must be conducted covertly. It is rumoured that some imperial militaries contract the ESD to clear up their wreckages for them but the authenticity of this rumour is debatable.

The Extraplanetary Salvage Division was once Virkad Recoveries, a private interstellar salvage firm which was subsumed by Nova Corporation to whom it was significantly indebted. All traces of the organisation's former identity have been scrubbed and replaced with the galaxy-familiar Nova veneer. The story is similar for its management.

Salvage Vehicles
Nova Corporation designs and manufactures the vehicles it uses for its salvage operations. Vehicles produced by the Extraplanetary Salvage Division for their own activity include:

Salvager Craft
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Premium Trade Division
Although branded as a commercial enterprise for trading in unique items, the Premium Trade Division is little more than a means for Nova Corporation to barter with alien governments and the estates of extremely wealthy individuals. Under the guise of a prestigious interstellar auction house, the PTD is used to sell off rare artefacts and commodities that would never be affordable to the average consumer. Noteworthy transactions include Saracin officer uniforms, the preserved and tattooed wings of a Repzork, still-functional Warbots predating the collapse of WBI, recovered Gronian military journals and the taxidermied remains of a general of the Delani Republic. Where and how Nova Corporation acquired these strange items is a controversial trade secret.

The division has retreated from the public eye in recent years after a media fiasco involving the sale of a historically significant artwork. The item, a brass sculpture supposedly created by the ancient Karahotdoum artist Anzhar of Galharea, was identified as a counterfeit by an appraiser some time after it was purchased by a collector at great cost. Nova Corporation refused to accept accountability for selling the fake and denied knowledge of its true nature prior to auction.

Outside of its publicised dealings, the PTD reserves its activities for trade it would prefer to keep under the table. This primarily pertains to military technology, information valuable to the Great War effort and important prisoners held at ransom. There is some speculation among the upper ranks of Biomatter Task Force as to whether Nova Corporation have used the PTD to sell inert Biomatter material but the evidence for this is unreliable.

Upper Management
The enduring rumour inside Nova Corp’s ranks hints that the company’s unseen Board of Directors meet in secret aboard a spacecraft or space station referred to as the ‘Upper Management’. The veracity of this rumour is impossible to prove but, considering Nova Corporation’s influence on the galaxy, it would be unwise to underestimate their resources.

Olvoll Derelict Incident
Discretion is an oft-touted selling point of the Nova Corporation service, a quality that was exemplified when the company played a role in resolving a public relations fiasco pertaining to Virkad Recoveries, a private firm engaged in scrapping the wreckages of large spacecraft. The saga began when a financially faltering Virkad secured the rights from federal authorities to salvage a large derelict vessel in orbit of Olvoll, a star in Aeverian territory. Virkad Recoveries contracted some three thousand freelance salvors to deconstruct the remains of the derelict over the course of two years.

The derelict’s engines were inoperable and the cost of moving it were deemed an excessive expense by Virkad. Instead, Virkad established a controlled atmosphere system around the ship which would allow the salvors to safely disassemble it while in orbit. They could minimise time and resources wasted transporting the freelancers by keeping them onboard for the duration of their contract, with the contractual obligation that they would transport the salvors back to the Aeverian world of Aiden'Veil after the job was completed.

Only two months into the salvage operation however, engineers deduced that the derelict was in far worse condition than preliminary analysis had suggested. In the time between the assessment of the vessel and the initiation of the salvage operation, the derelict’s orbit around Olvoll had tightened significantly. Consequently, the star’s electromagnetic field had left the vessel’s electrical systems severely damaged and its superstructure deteriorated. Virkad Recoveries’ higher-ups were dismayed to learn that the salvage operation would no longer be financially viable. The immense investment of the operation had financially crippled the company and with no foreseeable means of returning its expenditure Virkad was bankrupted and entered administration. With the salvors still stranded aboard the derelict, Virkad were left no choice but to cease all operations to prevent the firm’s dissolution.

Foreseeing an imminent public relations nightmare because of the thousands of salvors stuck in space, Virkad Recoveries’ CEO (and largest stockholder) contracted Nova Corporation to intervene and resolve the situation with minimal backlash. A small fleet of Nova Corp ships were dispatched to the derelict and promptly evacuated the irate salvors, many of whom had been surviving on only minimum rations for weeks. Much to the salvors’ chagrin, a contractual condition of their rescue was that they were legally bound not to reveal their mistreatment by Virkad Recoveries to the public; a warning that was impressed on them by their Nova Corp rescuers who were conspicuously heavily armed upon arrival aboard the vessel. While the freelancer fiasco was ultimately resolved, Virkad Recoveries failed to financially recover from the Olvoll incident. Bankrupted and still deeply indebted to Nova Corporation, Virkad were left no choice but to relinquish almost the entirety of their material assets to Nova Corp before the firm was officially disbanded. This inherited Nova Corporation a small fleet of salvage craft, federal licences to scrap wreckages in various regions of Aeverian space and a reputation as an organisation able to resolve disputes quickly and quietly. The takeover of Virkad Recoveries (now officially renamed Nova Corporation Extraplanetary Salvage Division) opened a new avenue of commerce for the ever-expanding Nova Corp which persists as lucrative facet of their business model to date.

The Olvoll incident remained in public obscurity but was a major success for Nova Corporation’s image behind closed doors, in the eyes of potential clients in interstellar businesses and governments. It briefly garnered some media attention a year after the fact, when a small legal coalition of a few of the freelance salvors brought public charges against Nova Corporation Extraplanetary Salvage Division, accusing them of employee mistreatment and blackmail and imploring Aeverian federal authorities to investigate the abandoned salvage infrastructure around the derelict ship as evidence to their claims. Their legal campaign collapsed after Aeverian authorities failed to find any trace of the salvage operation’s paper trail or indeed of the derelict ship itself. One media commentator posited that Nova Corporation likely destroyed all evidence of the vessel before the proceedings by pushing it into the star using their salvage ships but Nova Corp categorically denies this and the accusation was quietly retracted after threat of litigation.

Station 16: Braker's Dip Space Station
Station 16 is a Nova Corporation space station from which mercenary operations are dispatched. Located in the Braker's Dip region of the galaxy, newly-recruited but highly-capable mercenaries are often hailed to Station 16 so that they can be arranged into squads and briefed on their missions prior to disembark.

The centrepiece of the station is its hangar bay, nearly a mile across and almost half a mile high. New recruits are expected to find their own means to arrive at the station but can freely use its hangar to store their spacecraft. Station 16 is also host to extensive living quarters where mercenaries can reside before and after deployments. Each squad is designated their own floor of the complex and each mercenary has their own individual room. The busiest area of the station is its Central Hub: a nexus to the larger galaxy which contains giant video screens that stream live news from across space and are used to issue squads their objectives.

Squad 255 were assembled aboard Station 16.

Station 25: Iito’s Rest Penal Colony
Station 25 is located on Iito’s Rest - a small, unassuming planet with a thin atmosphere and no imperial colonial presence. The planet has been passed over by private colonial groups because its topography makes traversing its surface a struggle. The terrain is largely composed of dark clay which is saturated by the humid climate and frequent rainstorms, resulting in permanent bogs that span hundreds of miles. Attempting to travel on foot or by terrestrial vehicle without detailed knowledge of the area is fatal for most travellers, as the sediment in less stable areas will give way and swallow them whole. Iito's Rest's axial rotation is very slow and a day lasts the approximate equivalent of 19 solar days. Nights are similarly measured in hundreds of terrestrial hours, when the minimal light pollution means that the surface is pitch black and completely untraversable without the appropriate equipment.

The planet’s moniker is derived from the Pirate Lord Iito, a Nalstros marauder who used it as a crude anchorage for his flotilla and as a place to store the loot from his raids on merchant ships. In an act of extreme egotism, Iito carved a giant message onto the surface of the planet with his heavily-armed flagship’s extensive laser weapons. In hundred-foot-tall Nalstros script, Iito’s engraving boasted of his prowess, influence and invincibility.

The Pirate Lord’s operations came to a head some years prior to the Great War when a detachment from the Luminarian Frontier Navy was scouring the sector on a piracy-suppression campaign. Iito was caught with his flagship grounded on the planet while its plunder was offloaded. After being issued an order to surrender by Luminarian forces, Iito refused to capitulate and rallied the pirates to engage the Luminarians. His flagship was destroyed instantaneously when attempting to take off.

Nova Corp could see the writing on the wall – or rather, the ground – and established the Iito’s Rest Penal Colony within a matter of months. The institution’s message was cynical but clear; even the most powerful outlaws can be brought to heel. The maximum security (and maximum confidentiality) prison holds some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy, including terrorists, pirates and mass murderers. The secret colony remains under the jurisdiction of the Private Security Division with mercenaries acting as prison guards, ready to dispense violence at the earliest suspicion of an impending riot.

The planet's inhospitable topography makes an intimidating deterrent to would-be escapists, as a attempting to flee across the surface without an appropriate vehicle means wandering through treacherous marshland and risking death to the quicksand deposits. Long-range surveillance towers on the surface monitor activity from space and from the ground, allowing the security force to detect and respond to threats coming from inside or outside the facility.

While the entire installation is referred to as Station 25, it is more akin to a sprawling network of smaller prisons seperated by the untraversable bogs than a single structure. Much of the colony is visible from the surface, including numerous batteries of aerial defence towers. How much of the prison complex exists below the surface is unknowable.

Each Nova Corporation institution is first and foremost intended to drive profit and Iito’s Rest is no exception. The Great War has been a major boon for Iito’s Rest’s business model, with Nova Corp eager to disappear and incarcerate undesirables on Peacekeeper and Warlord sides alike. War criminals whose atrocities must not be exposed and political prisoners who must never be traced are locked up where there is no chance they will be found, at immense financial expense for Nova Corp’s clients.

Never one to squander their investments, it is rumoured that the administrator of Iito’s Rest has recognised the potential of its inmates and is preparing to redeploy them as agents for the organisation. While the military capabilities of the prison’s inmate population are undeniable, such a move would be so risky as to be unthinkable to any rational individual.

Station 67: Mortis Fen Command Centre
Colloquially known as Dead Man’s Garden, the unwelcoming world of Mortis Fen is synonymous with the high-density vegetative zones on all eleven of its continents. The land of the entire planet is overrun by the suffocating hypergrowth of several giant fungal species which make building stable habitats on the surface troublesome. Mortis Fen’s oceans are similarly unamenable to sustained habitation on account of their toxicity. High quantities of sulfide minerals in the water mean that establishing a settlement with potable water is effectively impossible for most organisations.

The planet is best known as the candidate location for a calamitous settlement project by the now defunct Intrepid Frontiers private colonial initiative. After clearing a large region of land of the giant fungi and deploying the first wave of prefabricated buildings, Intrepid Frontiers were horrified to learn that the fungi could regrow at abnormally high rates. The colony was overgrown in a matter of weeks and with no means of clearing the fungi without destroying their infrastructure Intrepid Frontiers were forced to abandon their holdings. The story has made for an effective deterrent to any others foolhardy enough to attempt settling on Mortis Fen.

The planet’s isolation and apparent inhospitability have made it the ideal location for Station 67, a secretive Nova Corp base from which operations in the Golver Expanse can be secretively coordinated. The installation is entirely self-sufficient, undetectable from orbit and acts as a staging area for the organisation’s more militaristic operations. It is home to hangar bays, armouries, military intelligence and living quarters for mercenary squads to reside in between deployments. Station 67's official role is that of command centre and as such some of the highest-ranking officials in the PSD remain on-site at all times.

Station 67 exploits Mortis Fen’s abundant geothermal energy and relies on water extracted from lower in the planet’s crust where sulfide contamination is less severe. Hot sulfur springs are scattered across the land, producing a dense, warm fog which acts as a convenient cloak for Nova Corporation installations from thermal imaging technology. The base continuously operates forcefields which prevent the encroachment of the fungus, without which it would be quickly overgrown.

Surprisingly, some of the fungus species are edible to most aliens and are harvested to support Station 67’s inhabitants. The planet’s fauna feed on the fungus and when they expire their decaying carcasses are chemically absorbed by the fungal biomass. This fact makes the premise of eating the fungus unattractive to some on-site personnel. Instantly recognisable when arriving on Mortis Fen are the giant tendril-like fungal structures which reach into the sky. These tendrils have been likened to prehensile appendages and, although they take weeks to noticeably reorient themselves, are capable of ensnaring and immobilising landing craft left unprotected by forcefields. Although technically impossible, the fear that one might be grabbed by one of these tendrils is a common symptom of prairie madness on Mortis Fen – an exceedingly common affliction on account of the harsh living conditions and the extreme levels of isolation.

Station 451: Satellite in Agniemia Orbit
At 3.75 kilometres in length and with a gross weight of 960 metric tons, the staggering Station 451 is an invaluable component of the Nova Corporation mercenary programme. Originally a small research outpost with living modules for only a few dozen personnel, the station is a paradigmatic example of the utility of modular satellite engineering for space station expansion. Since its purchase and renovation by Nova Corporation’s Private Security Division, Station 451 has incorporated living quarters for some 3,500 personnel, a depot for terrestrial vehicles and hangar bays which can accommodate dozens of corvettes used for mercenary work. The individual components of the station can be detached or reattached using powerful electromagnetic clamps, meaning that new pieces can be slotted into the centre of the structure without affecting its general shape.

Station 451 orbits Agniemia, a hydrogen-helium gas giant. Weak winds and low orbital velocity make Agniemia an ideal candidate for natural gas mining and as such Nova Corp’s Mining Division also have a constant presence in the star system. The station is primarily used as a jump-off point for mercenary excursions into the rest of the sector. Squads frequently stop by Station 451 to refuel, rearm or relinquish any amassed valuable cargo to their employers.

Unlike some of Nova Corporation's more secretive bases, Station 451's location and purpose are public information. The station is an imposing symbol of Nova Corporation's power and reach and it has been featured in advertisements for the Private Security Division in the past.

Station 888: New Venturia Luxury Resort
New Venturia is the paradigm of a corporate space age tourist attraction; luxurious, extravagant and utterly excessive. The subject of immense contention both politically and culturally, the entertainment complex drew ire partly on account of the fact that it was established over the entirety of a widely-revered planet of natural beauty and partly because its corporate-designated moniker was regarded as deeply tacky (in no small part because there was no 'Old Venturia' to precede it).

With its cerulean skies, staggering mountains and abundance of natural crystal formations, New Venturia was unspoiled prior to being secured by Nova Corporation. Now, the horizon is dominated by towering resort structures wherein discerning patrons can dine and relax while admiring the landscape.

The planet's ecosystem has been similarly renovated for its new role, with countless non-native plant and animal species being regularly introduced to the wild. Marketed by Nova's tourist board as the go-to place for wild adventure, the most absurdly wealthy flock to the resort for its fishing and hunting expeditions. New Venturia's 'big game hunting experience' allows the higher class of holidaymaker to try their hand at taking down the most exotic of megafauna with almost no means of dispatch being too imprudent or unethical. Billed by some journalists as being more like a warzone than a nature reserve, New Venturia may be the only holiday park where guests can fire a gauss cannon into a roaming herd of wild animals.

Nova Corporation met heavy resistance from the Sustainers of Nature, a Sauran faction dedicated to the conservation of natural ecology on alien worlds. Sustainers criticised Nova’s extreme meddling in the planet's ecosystem, with most of the native species being entirely wiped out by the introduction of more exotic invasive species. Another area of dispute was the resort's liberal use of military-grade munitions in its hunting expeditions which had rendered the once-pristine landscape a patchwork of craters and spent ammunition.

Station 935: Sirrune Mining Initiative
Advertised by Nova Corporation Mining Division as the prime destination for freelance mining work, the frigid world of Sirrune is infamous for its monumental ice storms which render its surface uninhabitable. Almost all of Sirrune’s hydrosphere is in its pole-spanning glaciers and there is no ocean to speak of. Totally devoid of animals, the only life on Sirrune before Nova Corp arrived was the scarce terrestrial plant life and microbial population. Mining Division operations are coordinated from Station 935, a sprawling mining complex that survives nestled inside the gigantic Mulga Canyon which loops around the entire planet. The storms make an effective deterrent to pirates and business rivals as landing anywhere but inside the canyon itself is a foolhardy exercise; the sweeping storms are capable of freezing travellers solid in a matter of minutes. The living conditions are harsh and as such only the hardiest of freelance miners choose to stay after their initial contract period expires. Minimal sunlight, cramped living spaces and the bitter cold are enough to ward off contractors who don’t have what it takes. Below Sirrune’s ice and rock lies rich metal deposits which are extracted and shipped offworld. Low atmospheric pressure makes the planet ideal for the transportation of heavy cargo and regular trips are made from Sirrune to nearby colonies transporting the raw metal ores. Despite minimal confrontation with intruders, Nova Corporation protect their presence on the planet with a full-time military garrison from their Private Security Division – referred colloquially among the mercenary community as “the worst posting in the galaxy”.

Known Squads
Includes squads which have not yet done anything of note, for reference. (Note: Not all of these have to be fully fleshed out RP'd squads, they might have just been mentioned in passing elsewhere)

Squad 176
Backwater

Ram Cardolas
Species: Zaretian

Rix
Species: Asanian

Aran Mizraim
Squad Role: Engineering & Close Range Gunner Species: Betel  Status: Alive  Callsign: Breakthrough

In his early life, Aran made his trade as assembling pre-war tanks on the fringe world of Rust-train, but fell into financial troubles when he tried advancing his career. In desperation, he took up work as a freelance mercenary for the Aeveria for a time, but when work dried up in the area he spent time on a neutral colony where he ran afoul of local crime syndicates. Forced back into the mercenary life, he signed up with Nova Corp. As a mercenary, he is a boisterous fellow who works well under pressure but prefers to do things the easy way otherwise. Aran is heavily armoured, armed with a primitive ballistic shotgun, and carries a variety of explosives.

Car'siris'nyrax'kor Meiset
Species: Necraal

Giroj Akdav
Species: Diabloian

Syren Kartalak
Squad Role: Heavy weapons & Explosives Species: Repzork  Status: Alive  Callsign: Jackhammer

Syren was conscripted into the Armed Forces of the Repzork Empire shortly before the outbreak of the Great War. He faithfully served the High Chamber for the next five years, but following the empire's alliance with the Margan and their entry into the Great War, he grew disillusioned. Initially willing to put aside his doubts, the disasters of the interim year convinced Syren that fighting for the Repzork had become a fruitless endeavor. He abandoned his post and soon found employment in Nova, where he believed that he would be able to earn glory for himself and his ancestors on his own terms. He remains a devout follower of the gods, with Yinve as his patron, and wears her icon on on a necklace. Syren still wears his service armor and wields a CHRN16 machine gun, breech-loaded grenade launcher, dagger, and grenades.

Merath Xxeifal
Species: Aumpnuuk

Squad 178
This squad has a solid track record of reliability. The squad's home is the NCNV Steelhawk, a Hydra-Class Light Frigate.

Squad 178 would help escort a pair of Peacekeeper scientists (Professors Jhul'tsa, a Sauran, and Silimi, a Rach) to planet Terimiak III in the Severak System to investigate a temple of an archaic civilization, colloquially known as The Ancients among the two. The squad succeeded in getting the two to the planets surface and set up camp, and confirmed the existence of the temple, which retained energy barriers protecting the inner temple. After night had fallen, the Squad and the scientists prepared for to explore the temple the next day, but the temptation to explore was overwhelming for the scientists, who pleaded with Captain Kaemakrov to let them take a look inside. Despite orders to the contrary, the scientists disabled the barrier, awakening temple guardian robotics. Forced into action, Kaemakrov begrudgingly ordered his squad to enter combat. The squad demonstrated their combat prowess, easily dispatching the antiquated mechs. After some persuasion, Kaemakrov allowed the scientists a ten minute look before they returned to camp, but Jhul'tsa interfaced with an old terminal, activating a portal of some kind. The burst of electromagnetic waves attracted the attention of a Margan scout fleet, which immediately set course for the planet as Squad 178 dug in to defend themselves.

Captain Alexiv Kaemakrov
Squad Role: Leader & Tactician Species: Diabloian  Status: Alive  Callsign: Captain

One of the longest serving members of Nova Corp. Multiple awards for acts of extreme selflessness in the field. Has the highest recorded kills of any Nova Corp Captain. Notable Fought at the Battle of Belfast and the Battle of Nyrax. Also aided a Necraal fleet in evacuating Peacekeeper civilians from the planet of Emnivore. Future promotion is likely.

Sile
Squad Role: Recon & Melee Species: Necraal  Status: Alive  Callsign: Sin

See entry in Squad 255 for more info.

Sile has been with Nova for the last four years, first serving with the infamous Squad 255. After a transfer to Squad 178 (current), he began to form a strong bond with squad mates. Does whatever is nessecary to get the job done. Experience with most forms of melee combat has been invaluable to the Hawks. Has also shown evidence of psychic powers beyond Necraal norms.

Migrev Cronis
Squad Role: Marksman Species: Chromorum  Status: Alive  Callsign: Raptor

Dishonorably discharged from the TmC for murdering a superior officer. Was saved from execution by a successful plea of self defense. Has yet to miss a shot in battle.

Riip Darmasc
Squad Role: Engineer & Battlesuit Pilot Species: Euskanian  Status: Alive  Callsign: Sovereign

Riip is responsible for the single largest sum of fines due to destruction of public property. Dishonorably discharged from the IAE military. Overcharged a Thor cannon, resulting in the utter destruction of a invading fleet, at the cost of the power core of every vehicle on the base being utterly depleted, leaving everyone stranded. It is no surprise that he has gained a reputation amongst his squad for being something of a safety hazard.

Riip pilots the battlesuit known as Sovereign, a Former IAE HAABS, with heavy modification by the Hawks. Provides heavy weapons, aerial reconnaissance, and anti-armour support. Armed with a Single Terlex Pattern Railgun, aircraft countermeasures, a stun blast and an EMP overload.

Keero'Tau
Squad Role: Chaplain & Weapon Specialist Species: Nepharian  Status: Alive  Callsign: Bishop

Keero'tau came to Nova approximately a year ago. Applying for the position of chaplain (a position not often applied for) he immediately was accepted into Squad 178. Current combat reports indicate a 7 percent increase in squad functionality since Keero'tau joined 178. Squad mates report nothing but good things about him.

Elatira Merian
Squad Role: Quartermaster & Weapon Specialist Species: Gronian  Status: Alive  Callsign: Dutchess

Exiled form the Imperium after several account of disobedience, Elatria has only been with Nova for the last few months. Although she has trouble with certain squadmates, her combat record is exemplary. Proficient in the use of most weapons available in the outer rim worlds.

Kaelira
Squad Role: Medic Species: Kastalian  Status: Alive  Callsign: Doc

One of only three Kastalians on Novas roster, Kaeliria has served with Nova for approximately two years. Has saved countless squad mates. Surprisingly deft and agile for someone of her size. Has shown to be quite capable of self defense if the need arises.

Idirn
Squad Role: Pilot & Driver Species: Crai'tal  Status: Alive  Callsign: Flyboy

Served with Captain Kaemakov since before they both joined Nova. Has an equally impressive track record. Doesnt get along well with Elatria, due to racial reasons. Would likely be promoted to Captain if Kaemakov is indeed himself promoted.

Squad 255
Original RP

Skaard Heldav
Species: Diabloian

Gabriel Wilson
Species: Human

Mai'zru
Species: Sauran

RD-4706-X
Species: Euskanian

Kral'Too
Species: Nepharian

Vael
Species: Kastalian

Doctor Harc Purlone
Species: Rach

Jarak
Species: Karahotdoum

Zenlen
Squad Role: Stealth & Mid-Close Range Combatant Species: Zulvokaria  Status: Alive

Zenlen is a 24 year old zulvokaria who, prior to joining Nova Corporation, was enlisted in the 65th Division, a joint zulvokaria-aumpnuuk peacekeeping force. About 5'8" in height, his relatively slender but toned frame lacks the long tapered head crest, heavy upper body musculature, and distinctive green scarring of an adult member of his species. Like many members of his race, Zenlen tends to act more reserved and dispassionate in public, saving his true thoughts and opinions for direct conversations. While generally obedient to those he considers his superiors, his relative lack of experience with the chain of command, combined with his natural curiosity, can cause him to make his own decisions from time to time.

Zenlen's equipment reflects the cooperative nature of his previous occupation; a typical set of ZNC soldier armor equipped with shields and stealth field technology, dual Phantaros-036 Energy Carbines, and an aumpnuuk-designed sword and shield tweaked to his own personal liking. More notably, he is equipped with an advanced Junnit-048A Grenade Launcher. This special edition of the launcher can target specific races by their unique bio-signature, often to lethal effect.

-WIP will finish later-

Sagesk
Species: Skrey

H’rothgoar Von Smathen
Species: Remusian

Aria Lorakan Gloran
Species: Gronian

Ark
Species: Asanian

Vanos'Vrarock
Species: Zaretian

See: Vanos'Vrarock, Zaretian Mercenary.

Est'carn'sylr'ivn'sater (Karnsyl)
Species: Necraal

Ciapas Paolo
Squad Role: Sniper & Spec Ops Species: Delani

A former Delani marine with an impressive Record. Hailed from Jolna, which was designated a rebel world and drove Ciapas to go rogue in face of execution. Has trust issues.

Squad 317
Takes on dangerous jobs beyond those of a normal mercenary, Squad 317 is composed of combat-focused elites sporting exceptional equipment usually far exceeding Nova Corporation standards.

Talza Nerasis
Squad Role: Close-Quarters Combat Specialist Species: Repzork Status: Alive Callsign: Wraith

Prior to his career in Nova Corp, Talza Nerasis had served in the Repzork Armed Forces as an elite commando unit. Noted for being a particularly devout atheist, a rare trait among the Repzork, Talza's primary concern was advancing his own career and accumulating fame. It is likely for this reason that, upon hearing of the possibilities of mercenary work, he promptly defected to Nova, where his elite training gave him a distinct advantage over many of his peers. Aware that Repzork officials are likely still hunting Talza, Nova has been particularly careful to keep Talza within their reach while Talza himself tends to be distant and introverted towards strangers. Talza wear XBA-A armor and is equipped with an ITD57 shotgun, GAR81 railpistol, grenades, and a retractable plasma blade on his right wrist.

Kell
Squad Role: Tank Species: Kastalian

Joraal Harun
Squad Role: Sniper Species: Nepharian

Mosalla the Awakened
Squad Role: Combat Generalist Species: Xeverra

Skyshear the Golden Wing of the Elysian Light
Squad Role: High-Mobility Combat Specialist Species: Khasii

Ilothar-class Corvette
Built by Nova Corp, the Ilothar is the personal starship of Squadron-317. Resembling a large dropship, the Ilothar can comfortably hold up to ten passengers for an extended period of time. It has a reserve of food and medical supplies custom fitted to the species that comprise the squadron as well as a built-in subspace FTL drive, shield generator, active camouflage, ballistic autocannons, and missile pods.

Squad 437
Served on Asanian-Delani front