The Kitsune Empire of Xiscapia's Factbook (FT) (2.5)

[Xiscapia]

Chúng tôi đứng mười ngàn năm!

We stand ten thousand years!

-Commander Matsuyama, Battle of Gerral

Directory:

YES, you are free to lift portions or all of the factbook style for your own use. Yes, I would appreciate being given credit somewhere, but it's not strictly necessary. No, you are not permitted to use any of the content within the factbook (unique technology, for example) without contacting me and receiving my permission. If you yourself have anything of your own creation included within the factbook (racial descriptions, technology, history etc.) and feel it's been misrepresented, contact me and explain the issue. Do not make posts here in the thread concerning it -they will be deleted.

Why KEX Factbook 2.5? Well, Factbook 2.0 was working great...until I started running out of space, particularly in the sections regarding races and territory. Too much expansion will do that to you, apparently. Thus, KEX Factbook 2.5 became a necessity so I could have room to breath and plenty of space to keep up with the new things I add. Between 2.0 and 2.5 major edits were made to territory, races, the naval register and fleet deployments to reflect my recent imperialism, as well as some minor edits to the Diplomatic, Technology, KIA Weapons and KIA Armor and the music sections.

As for using this newfangled Factbook, it's somewhat different from your standard fare. Rather than having a single thread in which I have listed everything significant I can think of about my nation, I have this Directory thread, which through its links can take you to other informational threads I have made relevant to the topic you're interested in. This means that if you're trying to read the whole thing in one go (in which case I ask, what the hell is wrong with you?) you're going to have a lot of jumping around to do, but it should make searching for specific information easier. It means more work for me, but the upside is, as I mentioned, more room to add in whatever I like to each section with no practical length restrictions, since I can always simply make a new post in that thread without needing to worry about the order. As before, the factbook is constantly in a state of flux, so it will not always be up-to-date or perfectly accurate. I will attempt to remedy all errors, inaccuracies and other flaws in as timely and competent a manner as possible. With the mod edits done the above no longer applies.

For those interested, KEX Factbook 2.0

So, without further ado, the main Directory.

Main Category:
1. Administration and Government

Main Category:
2. Racial Demographics and Data

Main Category:
3. Territory
3a -The Xiscapian Home System and Inner/Core Systems
3b -The Outer/Rim Systems
3c -Milky Way Galaxy Holdings
3d -Milky Way Galaxy Holdings (Cont.)

Main Category:
4. Very Important Persons (VIPs)
4a -Government Leaders and Personnel
4b -Merchants, Traders and Businessmen
4c -Mercenaries, Criminals and other Vagabonds
4d -Law Enforcement Officers and Intelligence Community Agents

Main Category:
5. Trade, Immigration and Corporations
5a -The Merchants
5b -Trade Relations
5c -Imports and Exports
5d -Immigration

Main Category:
6. Criminal Groups, Terrorist Organizations and PMCs
6a -Organization within the Syndicate
6b -Syndicate Vehicles

Main Category:
7. The Five (Nhing con hoang Bodominjärvi)
7a -The Five
7b -The Skulks

Main Category:
8. The Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps
8a -Imperial Ambassadors and Ambassadresses

Main Category:
9. The Kitsune Imperial Military

Subcategory:
10. The Kitsune Imperial Navy
10a -KIN Data: Rankings and Organization
10b -KIN: Weapons and Technology
10c -KIN: The Naval Register
10d -KIN: Fleet Deployments
10e -KIN: Supercapital Ships
10f -KIN: Capital Ships
10g -KIN: Subcapital Ships
10h -KIN: Support Ships
10i -KIN: Attack Ships
10j -KIN: Small and Strike Craft
10k -KIN: The VI Fleet
10l -KIN: Fortifications and System Defenses

Subcategory:
11. The Xiscapian Imperial Army
11a -XIA: Small Arms and Emplacement Weapons
11b -XIA: Equipment
11c -XIA: Personnel Classes
11d -XIA: Mecha
11e -XIA: Support and Armored Vehicles
11f - XIA: Drones
11g - XIA: Blue Water and Aquatic Vehicles

Main Category:
12. Xiscapian Culture
12a -Culture: Xiscapian Lore
12b -Culture: Customs and Laws
12c -Culture: The Church and the Cult
12d -Culture: Slang and Phrases

Main Category:
13. The Sound of Xiscapia: Blood Songs and Battle Hymns

[Xiscapia]

Homo Vulpes
This Xiscapian phenotype is humanoid, and, at first glance, shares many characteristics with humans. Though they resemble humans in nearly every way, they have vulpine tails and ears, lack ears on the sides of their heads and have longer and sharper canines then a human has. They also tend towards yellow or orange eyes and many different colors of hair, including green, purple, and blue. Homo Vulpes reflexes and sense of balance are superior to that of an average human. Homo Vulpes kitsune have olfactory, visual and auditory senses superior to that of a human but inferior to their Vulpes Vulpes counterparts. The Xiscapian Homo Vulpes population is currently in decline, as those that mate with Vulpes Vulpes and produce offspring find that Vulpes Vulpes genotype and traits are dominant. Thus Vulpes Vulpes kitsune make up the supermajority of the Xiscapian kitsune population.

Homo Vulpes female
Homo Vulpes male

Vulpes Vulpes
The other segment of the kitsune population are Vulpes Vulpes. Vulpes Vulpes have existed naturally alongside their Homo Vulpes counterparts for as long as Xiscapian history has been recorded, though the trend appears to be that Vulpes Vulpes are being born at higher rates than Homo Vulpes, due in no small part that Vulpes Vulpes genes are dominant. In Vulpes Vulpes kitsune the body is molded and shaped to be more fox-like than human. The body is covered in fur, and the visage ends in a muzzle complete with a long, tapering snout, with carnivore's teeth. The eyes and ears are almost identical to that of their Homo Vulpes counterparts. The Vulpes Vulpes kitsune retains the humanoid, erect posture and form, with human-like hands that include opposable thumbs and digigrade pawed feet, both with retractable claws. For reasons which are unclear both races have heads of hair differentiated from their main coats which come in a wider variety of colors, including blue, green, white, pink, purple and otherwise. Vulpes Vulpes tails are identical to those of Homo Vulpes.

Visual:

Both kitsune phenotypes have binocular vision, with sight geared towards reacting to movement; the pupils are oval and vertically oriented. Nictitating membranes are present, but move only when the eyes are closed. Average kitsune eyesight is superior to average human eyesight, 20/6 (where average human eyesight is within the 20/16-12 range) and complemented by natural nocturnal vision, allowing kitsune to see accurately in low light conditions. The kitsune eye tends to be amber or auric in color, though all kitsune are born with blue eyes which change color with age; rare mutations have also given kitsune green, blue and violet iris's. Unfortunately kitsune eyes tend to be more sensitive to changes in the light spectrum than those of a human, following that kitsune actually prefer low light conditions to high ones.

Auditory:

As with sight, the auditory perception in the average kitsune is highly acute, superior to that of the average human. Kitsune are capable of hearing and accurately tracking quiet sounds at extreme distances; trials have shown that a kitsune subject can hear music playing from the headphones of a personal device at one hundred meters, running feet at six hundred meters and the flight of birds at up to fifteen hundred meters, under ideal conditions. When perceiving an auditory signal the kitsune ears often perk and twitch in the direction of the signal in order to capture the sound waves more carefully. They are capable of locating sounds to within one degree at 700-3,000 hertz, though less accurately at higher frequencies. This sensitivity to noise can lead to auditory damage in loud environments, necessitating protective measures.

Olfactory:

While the senses of kitsune in other areas can be marked as significantly better than those of the average human, the olfactory sense of the average kitsune is multiple magnitudes more sensitive and nuanced than that of a human, up to one million times better in some cases. Where humans rely on their sense of sight, kitsune count sense of smell as one of their dominant senses. Because of the distinctive shape of each kitsune's nose and the unique organs and tissues that make it up a nose print is used in place of a finger print in the Kitsune Empire for identification purposes (which is a boon, since Vulpes Vulpes kitsune do not have finger prints). Using this sense kitsune can detect both the makeup and direction of the smell, allowing them to easily identify foods, chemicals, plant and animal life, each other and more from multiple kilometers away under ideal conditions. The sense of smell is, and will continue to be, one of the kitsune's greatest tools.

Sensory:

Among the most distinctive traits of kitsune is their fur, whether it is confined to ears and tail or fully covers the body. In Vulpes Vulpes kitsune the exact length, texture and displacement of the fur depends on environment; in the winter or otherwise cool conditions the fur is dense, soft, silky and relatively long, which is shed and traded for shorter, coarser summer for in warm conditions. Kitsune unconsciously shed in response to environment, and when fearful, stressed, nervous or otherwise tense. During lactation, the belly fur of lighter colored females may turn bright red. Kits are often born with black fur, which usually changes color with age.

A number of color palettes exist for kitsune. The most common is a rusty orange/red color, followed by alabaster, tawny, sable, gray and finally brown. Alabaster, sable and gray kitsune tend to be single solid colors, or small mixes of similar hues, while orange, tawny and silver kitsune are often blended, having a line of dark stripes down the spine, with flanks, throat, chin, lower lips and the front of the chest colored lighter with the remaining body a darker shade. In these cases the upper limbs are generally mottled, while the paws or hands are black, the backs of the ears are brown or ruddy and the insides are white. The top of the tail tends to be lighter than the flanks while the underside retains the same approximate color; a dark spot appears at the base of the tail around the supracaudal gland, while the tail tip is almost always black or white, contrasting with the main body color of the kitsune.

Gustation:

Reputedly, the kitsune sense of taste is quite different from that of a human, and could possibly be described as being inferior in range of possible sensations, though such a conclusion is debatable. The palate of most kitsune is better adapted to carnivorous consumption than herbivore, hence the preference of the majority of kitsune for a partially or all meat diet. Kitsune appear to lack certain taste buds that humans possess, replacing them with buds in different areas, so what a kitsune tastes and what a human tastes in the same food item could be drastically different. Certain substances, such as caffeine, nicotine and certain types of alcohol, have only a negligible effect on kitsune, while other substances, including THC, olfactory-dependent chemicals and specific kinds of alcohol, have a much greater or different affect on a kitsune than on a human. This leads to some kitsune ingesting or inhaling certain substances purely for the sake of smell or taste, rather than any psychological effects it might have, which are usually imperceptible.

Scent glands:

Like many species, Vulpes Vulpes kitsune possess scent glands which can excrete hormones, usually pheromones. These are produced in a pair of anal sacs lined by sebaceous glands, both of which open through a single duct, acting as fermentation chambers in which aerobic and anaerobic bacteria convert sebum into odorous compounds, including aliphatic acids. The oval shaped caudal gland is an erogenous zone, and is said to smell of lilacs. Sebaceous glands are present on the angle of the jaw and mandible; when the three glands work in concert they release odor signals to other kitsune in the area to convey sensory information, usually of a sexual nature. Glands are also present on the feet in deep interdigital cavities, which are tinged red and smell strongly, though unlike the caudal and sebaceous glands these are not usually considered erogenous.

Tail:

One of the most important anatomical features, the kitsune's tail is a significant limb for the body. The tail tends to be over half the kitsune's total height, 70% of the head and body on average, though shorter or longer limbs are possible. This limb is long, fluffy and reaches to the ground when the kitsune is in a standing position; it is often called a plume. The kitsune tail provides for balance, and assists the kitsune in running, jumping, swimming and (artificial) flight, keeping their gravity centered and allowing them to alter their course when in the air, submerged in water or moving through a zero gravity environment. Apart from natural uses the kitsune tail is also surprisingly dexterous, kitsune can be trained to pick up items, move them and even manipulate simple machines with their tail. Most kitsune are born with one tail, multiple tails are extremely rare and is considered a mark of divinity in some circles.

Sexuality:

Through a combination of biological urges, social liberation and institutionalized encouragement, most kitsune tend to be very sexually active. Unlike feline species and some more canine races kitsune do not, as popularly believed outside the Kitsune Empire, go into heat or have anything like a mating season; if any such thing exists it is for a minority of genetically engineered kitsune. Venereal diseases are almost non-existent among the kitsune and those which do exist are easily treatable by modern medicine. One unique aspect of the kitsune race is that most members are pansexual, with divides existing only with individual preference, though minorities with a preference purely for one sex or the other do exist. It is accepted as scientific fact that pansexuality is a natural state of being brought on by biology. Interestingly, Vulpes Vulpes traits appear to be dominant among kitsune.

When a female kitsune (or vixen) is impregnated the effects begin showing about four weeks after conception. Gestation typically lasts for about fifty two weeks, during which the female undergoes a range of physical and psychological changes. Birth naturally occurs through the vagina, though modern medicine makes other options available to expectant mothers. Vixens rarely give birth to twins, and triplets, quartets or higher numbers of siblings are unheard of. A kitsune child is called a kit.

When the kit is born they are blind, deaf, toothless and black furred. A kit's eyes will open after about two weeks of life, first blue in color but usually changing to amber in four to five weeks. Teeth erupt and ears open at about the same time. Coat color, if there will be any change, begins at about three weeks. During this time the ears become erect and the muzzle (on Vulpes Vulpes) begins to elongate. Kits typically feed on breast milk for about one year, after which they can switch to artificially produced milk until they are sufficiently developed to ingest solid food.

While fertile offspring between Homo Vulpes and Vulpes Vulpes kitsune has long been known to be possible, new research and firsthand accounts are finding that the Xiscapian reproductive methods and process are compatible with a number of other races. When offspring are produced between a kitsune and a member of a non-kitsune race the result is known as a "Halfbreed", or, more rarely, a "Hybrid." In some pairings kitsune genes are dominant, resulting in an alien version of a kitsune, while in other races the kitsune genes are recessive, producing a kitsuneized version of the non-kitsune parent. Due to a quirk in biology, genes may be recessive in one child but dominant in another, even if they came from the same mother and were born at the same time. Known Halfbreed pairing include Xis-Alvo, Xis-Set, Xis-Cala, Xis-Phenian, Xis-Pokos, Xis-Sen, Xis-Neko, Xis-Ten, Xis-Fuji, Xis-Kit, Xis-Tel and Xis-Xeno.

Diet:

All kitsune are capable of living on a pure carnivore, pure herbivore or omnivore diet. It should be noted that some substances which are acceptable for a kitsune to ingest, and may even be considered seasonings or spices in Xiscapian food, may be poisonous to humans; therefore prospective alien diners should take care before consuming kitsune delicacies. Because of their digestive system it is safe for kitsune to eat raw meat, and as their jaws are powerful enough, and teeth sharp enough, to break bone it is possible for them to capture, kill and eat animals naturally. Metabolic rates tend to be quick in kitsune, leading them to require food more frequently but ingest less of it per sitting than the average human. Most kitsune maintain an omnivorous diet.

Body Language:

Kitsune body language consists largely of the movements of the ears, tail and posture. Because it can be difficult for non-kitsune to interpret kitsune body language, one may erroneously read a kitsune as being calm or even unemotional when he or she is actually very surprised, fearful or angry. One area Vulpes Vulpes body language is lacking in is facial expression, which is the biggest contributor to human indicator of emotion and inversely can be almost negligible when dealing with kitsune. It is possible for a kitsune to learn to make approximations of human expressions, but this is usually only done through unconscious imitation. Conversely, it is thought to be conventionally impossible for a non-kitsune to accurately read kitsune body language beyond extremely simple identifiers.

An inquisitive, curious or alert kitsune will often perk and rotate his or her ears and flick them often in response to auditory stimulation, usually combined with a subtle sniffing of the air. One variation on twitching the ears can be interpreted as being playful, while others signal intentness, caution or desultory scanning. Lowered ears can signal fatigue, inactivity, a negative emotion or simply a motion used to scan closer to the ground. Flattened ears usually indicate aggression, fear, anger or hostility. A single twitch of the ear on either side without corresponding rotation can be interpreted as an approximate equivalent to a human raising an eyebrow.

When a kitsune approaches with muzzle held high, looking down the snout, as it were, the posture means much the same as it does in humans; pride, confidence, arrogance or attention. When the muzzle is level with that of the other, insofar as such may be possible, it is generally a sign that a kitsune is approaching another as an equal, though it may also be so the kitsune can keep a careful eye on a potential opponent. When the muzzle is lowered in relation to the face or appropriate appendage of the other it is a sign of submission, deference, sadness or acceptance. Generally, a kitsune directly facing another is treating him or her cordially, while one facing sidelong is expecting an attack or confrontation. Kitsune officials will often draw all limbs except for their heads into the recesses of their robes, as a sign of readiness for procession, while military personnel usually stand with their hands clasped behind their backs just above their tails to indicate detachment, and kitsune teenagers like to keep their hands in their pockets; none of these should be taken a sign of a kitsune going for his or her weapon.

Perhaps one of the most profound of limbs used to communicate is the tail. When the tail is simply raised it can be a sign of submission, alertness, uncertainty or simple stretching. If the tail is lowered it may be a sign of sadness, aggression, attention or wariness. Where the tail curls it is often a sign of inquisitiveness, uncertainty, intentness or unease. When the tail lashes from side to side it is almost always a signal of aggression, agitation, anger or passion. Upon sitting, if there is no tail hole in their seat, a kitsune will often wrap his or her tail around their legs or waist to conserve space. Not to be ignored is the Xiscapian "tail language" which kitsune can use nonverbally to actually communicate thoughts and ideas, albeit in a limited fashion, to each other through deliberate and specific motions in and along the tail.

Vulpes Vulpes female
Vulpes Vulpes male

Other races under the domain of the Kitsune Empire:

The most numerous and common non-kitsune race in the Kitsune Empire, humans and near-humans make up a significant portion of the total Xiscapian population. Even on a more localized scale, in individual pieces of territory, most vessels, stations and colonies are home to at least a few people who trace their roots back to Homo Sapiens. The Kitsune Empire recognizes eight distinct types of humanity within its borders, all of whom hail from a specific allied or conquered state. Those not listed are either statistically non-existent, or are identical to standard humanity. The degree of "Xiscapianization" within humans living within the Kitsune Empire varies based on location, group and social class as well as other factors, but humans are usually successfully assimilated and integrated into the culture of the Xiscapians.

Alversians

Alversian male and female
Though Alversians are not the most common type of human in the Kitsune Empire, they are the first ever contacted by the Xiscapians, and as a result the most well-known and highly integrated. Because of this, the principle and most numerous halfbreeds are Xis-Alvo. In recognition of their service, many Alversians living in the Kitsune Empire who fought in the Korr Wars have duel citizenship in the People's Republic as well as honorary citizenship in the Kitsune Empire. Alversians who choose to immigrate to the Kitsune Empire are often brought in by Xiscapian friends and significant others, which usually leads to their either joining existing kitsune family businesses or opening their own enterprises, often in information services. Statistically few Alversians choose to join the military, often citing disagreement with imperialistic policies, but they are more common in the police force and the Imperial Intelligence department, as well as some management and administrative positions within the government. Cultural perception of Alversians holds them as calm, reasonable and intelligent people.

Special thanks to Alversia for the use of his write-up.

Setulanites

Setulanite Male
Setulanite Female

One of the later human types encountered by the Xiscapians, Setulanites (or Setulans) are superficially similar to Alversians. Indeed, the two subcategories share many of the same traits, including height, size, metabolic rate and liver function, but they are distinct and can be discerned by the practiced kitsune eye. Despite this, most kitsune judge the differences based on smell, which is to them substantial despite being outside human range of detection. Setulanites tend to have darker hair, higher general muscle mass and more bulk, while Alversians tend to be fair skinned, more slender and longer legs. Though their percentage is still smaller than most human types, the number of Setulanites living within the Kitsune Empire is growing steadily.

In the work force many Setulanites who come to Xiscapia were, like their Alversian fellows, following friends and lovers. Statistically, Setulanites are drawn to public service, including law enforcement, intelligence agencies and the military, and often skew towards blue collar work and frontier jobs, including joining mining operations, shipping corporations and survey companies. For this reason Xiscapian Setulanites are usually found along the fringes and colonies of the Kitsune Empire, rather than the interior. When employed in the armed forces Setulanites are almost always front, ground-level operators, and are often utilized as guards, boarders and shock troops. Xiscapians stereotype Setulanites as loyal, dependable and difficult to faze.

Phenians

Phenian male
Phenian female

Hailing from Greater Phenia, Phenians are a subcategory of Homo Sapiens. Though they lack the striking form of Alversians or the imposing presence of Setulanites, being of "normal" human size, Phenians nevertheless form an important part of humanity within the Kitsune Empire. Found extensively doing assembly line, clerical, logistical and support work in inner cities and large stations, they are known to be hard-working and determined, if often cynical and hedonistic. Trending towards pale skin and dark hair, most Phenians immigrated to the Kitsune Empire seeking economic opportunities, while others were attracted by the exotic temptations of the foreign land. Physiologically, they are notable for having adapted to breath smog and handle industrial conditions (like those of their homeworld) that other races would find debilitating.

Avalans

Avalan male
Avalan female

The second type of humanity ever contacted in significant numbers by the Xiscapians, the Avalans are a quiet, serious people. Coming from a technocratic society, they value technology, knowledge and practical applications highly, having little use for unverifiable theory, theology and the natural environment. Avalans view the universe as a set of problems to which solutions almost always exist, even if they have not been thought of or invented yet. Those who have immigrated to the Kitsune Empire often take jobs as scientists, engineers, technicians and other technical experts. Though they believe in self-defense, Avalans are generally non-violent, as they would rather design war machines than use them.

Physically, Avalans are slightly shorter than the average human, and marginally more intelligent. Some fifty percent of the population suffers from oculocutaneous albinism (OCA1a, OCA1b and OCA2), though rates are slightly higher in males. Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome are often inherited in albino Avalans, though genetic manipulation usually allows for problems to be expunged. For those who live with the syndromes hearing and vision loss is common, but can be reversed or replaced with cybernetic implants. When at work Avalans prefer to remain behind the scenes, keeping systems optimal and running.

Olacians

Olacians of various types and genders

Though some do not consider Olacians a subcategory of humanity (calling them "elves") the Kitsune Empire regards the race as being genetically close enough to Homo Sapiens to classify them as humans. A highly diverse people, Olacian culture, language, technological level and even worldview varies from one type to another throughout what they call the Twelve Races, leading to a melting pot of states and peoples in miniature across Olacian (Hilda Rein) territory and those parts of the Kitsune Empire where they have taken up residence. Though the elves are by-and-large connected with nature, particularly on their home planet, and are well suited to agriculture and the raising of animals, they also have proficiency in some surprising areas, including terraforming, surveying, military scouting, tracking and reconnaissance and medicine. Interestingly, the presence of psychics within the Olacian population is very high, higher than that of any other statistically significant race in the Kitsune Empire. The types of Olacians are listed below.

Savage/Feral Elf: Possessing Stone Age technology and inhabiting the interior of Hilda Rein, Savage Elves are tribals who are not considered integrated with the rest of Olacian society. Indeed, they do not even speak the same language as their more advanced brethren, and are known for wearing animal skins and furs, using skulls as helmets. Savage Elves are rarely seen in Hilda Rein proper outside of captivity, as their attitudes towards outsiders, including other Olacians, ranges from wary to openly hostile. Those who wander too far into the wilds of Hilda Rein may find themselves attacked by Savage Elves, though they are easily beaten back using even primitive technology. Modernizing and assimilating the Savage Elves is currently one of the projects of the Hilda Rein government. Savage Elves can be any color but are often purple and white.

Forest/Wood Elf: A reclusive race, the Forest Elves are among the most in-tune with their natural world as any Olacian. Inhabiting the many forests of Hilda Rein, they keep outside contact to a minimal except for trade, and often shun technology in favor of using natural and organic sources to help them survive. When Forest Elves come of age they are allowed out into the wider world to determine whether they wish to remain with their clan or join their brothers and sisters in modernity; a Forest Elf who chooses civilization is allowed to leave but may not return, while one who chooses his or her home is then granted a position in the community. Despite their avoidance of others the Forest Elves are not an inhospitable people, and they will take care of most travelers or wanderers who come across their villages, provided they do not stay too long. Forest Elves are usually fair-skinned but sometimes are born with or develop green pigments.

Plains/Highland Elf: A cheerful and fun-loving people, Plains Elves are often found in hospitality and public relations on Hilda Rein. Making their cities on the steppes of the planet, Plains Elves are the life of every party, and are known for their brew of intoxicants and recreational drugs, as well as their promiscuity. In the times before Kitsune Empire dominion over the world, Plains Elves created the Olacian equivalent of tourist traps, meant to separate foreign elves from their money. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Plains Elves are adventurous and are frequently found in local survey companies or merchant craft, as many desire to move off-world and see the rest of the universe. Plains Elves tend to be brightly colored; the most common hue is an azure blue.

Half/Bastard Elf: Consisting of a crossbreed between any two races, Half Elves are most frequently halfbreeds between members of the Twelve Races but other alien variants exist as well. As with most genetic mixing, the exact traits of the offspring are highly variable, but Half Elves tend to be at least mildly psychic even if neither of their parents were, dark-skinned and they almost always retain their distinctive pointed ears. Though Half Elves faced discrimination when they first appeared, progressive government policy, as well as changing public attitudes, made a place for them in Olacian society. Half Elves are most frequently found in the most heavily urbanized areas of Hilda Rein, as well as in the system aboard ships and stations; typically, where they were sired. Half Elves have a wide variety of skin colors but are often black, gray, brown or bronze in appearance.

Dune/Sand Elf: The most warlike of the Twelve Races, Dune Elves make their homes in the barren wastes of Hilda Rein's deserts. Fierce fighters, the Dune Elves sustained themselves for centuries through raids and aggressive expansion, held at bay only by the High Elves and those that served them. When the races were unified under the Olacian Empire Dune Elves formed the core of the Olacian military, swearing to protect it from all threats. Even under the Kitsune Empire Dune Elves form the majority of the militias and levies, though some have also taken to banditry and piracy in the wake of the collapse of the Olacian nation. Dune Elves are usually brown skinned but can also be lighter tan colors up to human-like pink.

Ice/Cold Elf: Living only in the polar regions of Hilda Rein, Ice Elves are the least numerous of the Twelve Races, numbering just a few million strong overall. Intensely religious, Ice Elves worship nature and tend to be moderately psychically powerful for their efforts. Fortunately, all attempts at establishing a theocracy outside the poles was quashed by a combination of their low numbers, distance from most of the rest of the Twelve Races and the efforts of the High Elves, Drow and Blood Elves. Today Ice Elves have expanded to building temples and monasteries in the countryside and even take to the stars to construct them on moons and asteroids, but their dogma has failed to take hold among the largely apatheist and agnostic Olacian population. Ice Elves are almost always a very pale white.

High/Light Elf: The ruling class of the Olacians, the High Elves are the aristocrats, officers and officials of the Twelve Races. Though they have no special qualities, the High Elves were able to manipulate their way into power centuries ago by virtue of their resource-rich position and a strategic alliance with the Drow. Once their control was assured the High Elves played the other eleven races off each other, preventing any from growing too large or powerful while they continued to horde power and bide their time. Once the Olacian Empire became space-facing the High Elves assumed their supposedly rightful position as leaders, placing themselves above the rest. Today they continued to rule in the local government, though higher positions are now occupied by kitsune or Xiscapian-sponsored elves. High Elves are uniformly pink (human) in color.

Drow/Black Elf: Enormously powerful, Drow Elves can match the Dune Elves in combat and the Blood Elves in contests of psychic strength. Tending towards warlocks, elite guards and commandos, Drow Elves are usually attached to one or another organization that their family has been associated with for centuries, and will be fanatically loyal to it. Because they were often used by the High Elves and the Olacian government to crush rebellions and police the population, Drow Elves have a bad reputation in some parts of Hilda Rein. Under the Kitsune Empire Drow have been inducted into the special forces, interrogation units and command positions. Drow are almost always black or dark gray in color.

Blue/Cursed Elf: Coming from towns and small kingdoms on the coasts, Blue Elves are the most technologically advanced race after the High Elves, though many of their concepts and inventions are in fact stolen from them by the ruling caste. Scientifically-minded, Blue Elves are regarded as unusual by other Olacians because of their fascination with and love of science, inquiry and experimentation, earning them the alternative title "Cursed Elves" by conservatives who prefer psychic power to technology. In modern times Blue Elves handle much of the design and development of starships, weapons, terraforming devices and other pieces of technology, and often serve in the military as technicians and engineers. Indeed, until the High Elves took over the drive for modernization, Blue Elves were the ones pushing the rest of the Olacians into the world seen today. Blue Elves can be all shades of blue, but are often navy blue or deep purple.

Gray/Serf Elf: A brutalized and degraded caste, Gray Elves were the principle slaves to the other races for centuries before the Olacian Empire outlawed slavery. Discriminated against due to their skin tone, Gray Elves provided manual labor, low-level concubines and foot soldiers before their final emancipation brought about by the arrival of the Kitsune Empire. Despite their subdued history Gray Elves are the physically strongest and most durable of the elves, though they possess almost no natural psychic talents, which may explain their subjugation at the hands of their fellows. Today Gray Elves continue to provide the basis of the Olacian work force, but they are now quite powerful in the society thanks to the formation of strong labor unions. As their name suggests, Gray Elves have an ashen or slate skin color.

Blood/Damned Elf: Chief rivals of the Drow Elves, the Blood Elves are the only elfish race which matches the Drow in terms of psychic power. Where the Drow often tie themselves to organizations, however, Blood Elves lend themselves to personal ambitions, leading them to become witches, assassins and (in modern times) businesspersons. As Drow specialize in martial combat, Blood Elves utilize destructive psychic abilities, though their influence is often more subtle. With the arrival of the Kitsune Empire Blood Elves have more readily joined Private Military Companies and become mercenaries than their counterparts. Their skin is usually a crimson hue.

Wild/Wanderer Elf: Made up entirely of nomads, Wild Elves make their homes in all parts of Hilda Rein, from the coasts to the highest mountains. At one time the primary merchants of Hilda Rein, Wild Elves are constantly in motion in all ways, technologically advancing and regressing, numbers growing and falling, racial types mixing and stabilizing. With the advent of space travel and large, static urban centers, however, Wild Elf culture is dying as more and more of their kind choose to finally settle down or take to the stars. It is estimated that in twenty years time Wild Elves will no longer exist on Hilda Rein. Wild Elves are pink skinned, similar to humans.

Neo Kirisuban

Neo Kirisuban female
Neo Kirisuban in battle armor

Living on the worlds Kirisubo Primus and Kirisubo Beta, the Neo Kirisubans are a race of oriental humans who have built a small solar empire in the Neo Kirisubo system. Originally from another planet, the Kirisuban homeworld was destroyed by an unknown force (SASM involvement is suspected) leaving some two hundred twenty thousand refugees alive to flee to their current location. The vast majority of those who escaped were female, a fact which is reflected in modern Kirisuban society; today only ten percent of the Kirisuban population is male, though this is a result of careful planning and population control by the government, as males originally only made up five percent of the population. Even so, Kirisuban society remains female-dominated, it is actually illegal for males to hold posts in the military and it is mandatory for healthy male citizens to enter a breeding program at least once annually. Fortunately, advances in science brought by the Kitsune Empire allows for a more stable population, though the gender tilt is still decidedly lopsided.

The Kirisubans viewed their old Empress as divinely influenced before she was killed along with most of the rest of the population. When Kirisubo was made a protectorate of the Kitsune Empire this allegiance switched to the reigning Xiscapian Emperor and, in particular, the Empress. Despite the secular nature of the Xiscapian government and the apatheist outlook of the Emperor and Empress, the Kirisubans revere the Imperial Family as blessed by their gods with the "Mandate of Heaven" and are fanatically loyal to it, even more so than some native Xiscapians. Otherwise, the majority of Kirisubans follow the religions of Shinto (regarding the Kirisubo nation as holy, represented by shrines) and Buddhism -the two are interlinked and not usually mutually exclusive. Those who stay in the military and rise to Samurai (officer) class also follow the code of Bushido.

Military service is mandatory for females in Kirisubo, which as a protectorate means service in the Customs fleet, Defense Force (Militia or the Defense Fleet) or the Imperial Guard. Kirisubans can spend either two years on active duty in the Militia, Defense Fleet or the Imperial Guard, or five years as a reservist or Customs fleet member. Broadly speaking, the Customs fleet is responsible for policing and regulating the flow of people and goods through Kirisuban borders, the Militia is trained and equipped to defend territory on the ground, the Defense Fleet acts against pirates and hostile national forces, and the Imperial Guard protects dignitaries, officials and important pieces of military infrastructure. Kirsuban soldiers are conditioned and trained to avoid capture at all costs, seeing it as shameful; if there is no possibility of victory or retreat, Kirisubans will fight to the death, and if it seems capture it imminent, they will commit suicide. Should any Kirisuban be captured they are automatically exiled and prohibited from returning home. With regards to the enemy, Kirisubans do take prisoners, who are usually well treated.

Kirisuban officers and all members of the Imperial Guard follow the tenants of Bushido. Bushido is a code of conduct that emphasizes frugality, loyalty, skill in combat and honor to the end. Should a Kirisuban be mortally wounded or become dishonored or disgraced, they are expected to commit seppuku (honorable suicide) to regain, preserve or enhance their honor. However, Bushido also teaches compassion for the unfortunate, requiring the follower to act in all things with calmness, fairness, justice and propriety. Foot soldiers and those of lower station in the Kirisuban military are not required to follow the code of Bushido, though many aspire to, as a soldier who is noted by her superiors as faithful to the code's tenants stands a good chance at promotion.

Socially, Kirisubans take highly liberal attitudes, particularly towards sex. Most of the female population is predisposed towards bisexuality or homosexuality, making same-sex relationships more common than opposite-sex ones. Kirisuban public bathhouses double as brothels, with most employing several Ai-jins (love people) for the enjoyment of visitors. Even the military does not attempt to regulate sexual conduct among its members, though individual interpretations of the law and protocols vary between officers. Nudity is also a common sight in Kirisubo, as unlike most humans Kirisubans have little modesty.

Kirisuban society is built around the ideals of loyalty, honor, duty and compassion. Loyalty to the government is demanded, but the government's loyalty to its citizens is likewise expected. All are conditioned to conduct themselves honorably, and those who do not are exiled if not executed. Duty comes in the form of compulsory service to the state. Compassion is symbolized by the love the Kirisubans have for one another, and their hospitality towards outsiders.

Archians

Archian male
Archain female

Mostly under Xiscapian dominion on the planet Tiri within the Fudo System, Archians hail from the Celestial Confederacy of Arch Planets. As humans they tend to be larger, heavier and stronger than most Phenians, Kirisubans and Avalans, but smaller and weaker than given Alversians or Setulanites. Archians in the Kitsune Empire are overwhelmingly Caucasian with Illanian (the Confederate homeworld) accents and tend to be either youth seeking the exotic excesses of the Kitsune Empire or older merchants looking to turn a profit by buying or selling goods. A minority of the Archian population consists of what they call Bentusi, or Archian humans who have implanted themselves with cybernetic modifications, usually quite heavily. Though they do not comprise even a single percentage point of the Kitsune Empire's population, Archians warrant their own category of humanity due to their minor genetic differences and the presence of the Bentusi.

Telrosians

A Remelar

Natives to the planet of Pamp, the Remelar are an obscure, hardy race native to the planet of Pamp. In decades past the Remelar were a premodern people broken up into disparate states across their planet, alternatively warring and trading, before the Greali arrive. The more advanced imperialistic power quickly overwhelmed the Remelar governments and annexed the system into the greater empire, systematically oppressing the aliens as it did the other non-human races under its domain. Further warfare, with the Calaverians forcing the Greali off the planet only to replace racially fascist programs with racially communist ones, and the Danaversians coming to slaughter everyone, Greali, Calaverian and Remelar alike, brought further death and destruction to the Remelars, drastically reducing their already depleted numbers. Only when the Kitsune Empire finally took control of the system midway through the Danaversian War was peace and stability brought back to the Remelars.

Possessing only one gender, Remelar reproduce asexually via budding, in which their offspring literally grow out of their own bodies, eventually breaking off upon maturation. Remelar maturation rates are very short, six to nine weeks, but their lifespan is similarly truncated at twenty years. In part this was what made Remelar resistance to the Greali, Calaverians and Danaversians so difficult to quash, as its members could consistently replenish their numbers, with even one escaped fighter able to recreate a small band within a year. Because of this method Remelar regard most other types of sexuality, especially the pansexuality common among Xiscapian kitsune, as exceptionally strange. They are also incapable of engaging in traditional sex, as they lack traditional and recognizable sexual organs.

Remelar communicate through a combination of vibrations made through a special chest organ, which has been described "like a feline's purr" and chemical pheromones. This method is highly adaptive, conductive to allowing multiple species to understand a Remelar, albeit in imprecise terms. In written communication they utilize a unique rune system, though many have also learned Common to allow for easier understanding. Nutrition is gathered through a cavity in the being's midsection, and this process, though slow, allows a Remelar to derive sustenance from substances and materials most other beings would find inedible or even toxic. Waste is generated through a watery runoff through the feet which is poisonous to humans and similar creatures.

From a national standpoint, many Remelar are highly independent at a local level, a throwback to the days of a fractured planet. In general they care little for what the greater government (in this case the Kitsune Empire) does so long as it does not interfere with their day-to-day living. When inducted in militia and levy groups Remelar are almost always kept close to their homes by necessity, as they will fight more fiercely for their own communities than a larger whole. In trade Remelar are fair but sometimes spend excessively in order to get all possible options. Though hospitable to aliens, Remelar culture and way of life tends to be so strange that most cannot properly live among them.

A Zillar male
A Berrax male
A Berrax female

A pair of reptilian races, the Berrax and the Zillar people are cousins genetically, with some substantial physiological differences. Zillars are cold-blooded, with lighter scales and smooth, well-defined forms, while Berrax can withstand great heats and colds, tend to be dark in color and range from having thin hides to heavy natural armor. Berrax senses are overall superior to those of the Zillars, but they have live births and low birthrates, while the Zillars lay eggs and can spawn dozens of young at once. Diet is drastically different as well, Berrax are carnivorous but can subsist on certain types of stone from their homeworld, while Zillars are omnivorous. The two races view each other warily, though this has more to do with their being on opposite sides of the Danaversian War than inherent racial tension.

A Boolean official
A Boolean engineer
A Boolean elite soldier
A Boolean merchant

Culturally enterprising, the Booleans are a methane-breathing race from the planet Boole. Distinctive because of the life support suits they wear off their homeworld, Booleans are green-skinned humanoids with conservative values for people in the Kitsune Empire. The socioeconomic level Booleans inhabit is widely disparate; as a conquered people they may be little better than workers and foot soldiers, but those who were sympathetic to the Coalition during the Danaversian War, or the new generation, may find themselves in higher positions. As they were before the war, the center of economy for individual Boolean systems is generally commerce, though the actual level of Boolean merchants has been reduced due to the aggressive Coalition raids on their traders during the conflict, meaning most Booleans now work in sending or receiving cargo, or sponsoring ventures. Despite their making up a statistically significant portion of the population, Booleans are not often seen outside their home systems, as they tend to be poorly received in other parts of the Kitsune Empire for their alliance with the Danaversians.

Female Escan-Timo and Escan-Domo, from top to bottom
Escan male
A Rasthan male and female
Rasthan male
Rasthan female

Though Escan and Rasthans are encountered in two different galaxies, they are genetically so similar as to be virtually identical outside of certain superficial differences. The lupines, for they are considered to be the same species, appear to have developed along two separate lines but almost certainly had the same origin point somewhere in the past; whether this was the Home Galaxy, and the Escans are the precursors, or the Milky Way, and the Rasthan are in fact the forerunners, is unknown. Escan tend to be of lighter weight, fairer fur color and smaller size, while Rasthan are heavier, darker and larger. Interestingly, Escan tend to have higher rates of female birth, while Rasthan have higher rates of male birth, hinting at a fundamental divergence between the genetics of the species at some time in the past. However, Escan experience human-type sexual dimorphism in which the male is larger than the female, but Rasthan genders are the opposite.

The Escan were encountered first by the Kitsune Empire as a slave caste under the Danaversians. Liberated when the Ranus System was captured and secured by Coalition forces, Escan have spread throughout the Kitsune Empire since the end of the war, finding places at all levels of society. The principle Escan world, Ranus V, was annexed into the Kitsune Empire without issue. On the flip side, the Rasthan were saved from the Rethast by a pair of Xiscapian merchants directed by a scout, a few hundred thousand individuals taken to the fringe of the galaxy where they petitioned for and received the right to establish their own, semi-independent state. Studies comparing and contrasting the two peoples are being conducted, but what they may tell, if anything, is unpredictable.

Special thanks to Alversia for the use of his write-up.

A female Alumina
A male Alumina
Standard Alumina armor
Special Operations Alumina armor

Throughout the Danaversian War Xiscapian and Aluminan troops fought side-by-side, developing a certain kinship unique to soldiers on the battlefield that their respective governments, with their chilly relations, did not share. Once the war ended and the Aluminan Pridelands were absorbed into the People's Republic, borders opened and what had been a trickle of Alumina exiles turned into a stream of felines seeking to escape their homeland with its broken government, ravaged economy and shattered military to one of the strongest postwar states, the Kitsune Empire. A number of the Alumina ended up in the Meyos System, where the Xiscapian government was sponsoring immigrants to settle in stations and sectors confiscated from Boolean merchants, commanders and corporations. Humbled by the AXIS victory where their own years of effort failed, most Alumina residing in the Kitsune Empire remember their homeland but have pledged loyalty to the Kitsune Empire, bringing with them stores of technical knowledge and talent. As the vast majority of Alumina were soldiers, many have volunteered in the Kitsune Imperial Military.

Special thanks to Alversia for the use of his write-up.

Three female Sar
Two young female Sar
One female Sar

Though they first appear to be a type of fish, the Sar are in fact a race of amphibians who can live in both aquatic and land environments, though they are adapted to and generally prefer the sea. Though they are evolved to live in the ocean, biological modifications or cybernetic implants allow Sar to live and operate out of brackish and fresh water as well. Gills give Sar the ability to retrieve oxygen from water, while their skin is made up of rough dermal denticles to protect it from damage, though some choose to smooth it down for practical reasons. Sar lose their teeth all their lives, losing one tooth as often as once a week, and have several replaceable sets; given the fact that they often devour their prey while it is still alive, their jaws are exceptionally powerful. Contrary to popular belief, Sar do have a bone structure, though much of the rest of their bodies are made up of cartilage.

Where a kitsune or similar being's tail helps that retain balance on land, a Sar's tail and fins provide speed and direction in the water superior to that which most beings can achieve. Indeed, the average Sar's swimming speed is faster than the average unmodified kitsune's running speed. Sar are warm-blooded, and can live anywhere in the ocean including polar regions, though they usually prefer the tropics. A Sar's diet consists entirely of meat, but they are capable of digesting (though not extracting nutrients from) almost anything, and they are very difficult to poison. Interestingly, most toxins and drugs have no affect on Sar, necessitating the development of their own branch of medicine and psychotropics.

Outside of water Sar have a poor sense of smell, equivalent to that of a human, but in water it is quite keen, with members being able to detect a single part of anomalous liquid (such as blood) in one million parts of seawater. Eyesight in and out of the water is superior to that of a human's; out of water it is slightly worse than that of a kitsune, but in water it is significantly better, and includes nocturnal vision at the cost of making them colorblind. Sar have eyelids and nictitating membranes which function normally on land, but in the water are not used as the passage of liquid cleans the eye. Hearing is sharp in the water but only marginally better than that of a human on land. Overall, a Sar's natural senses grant them a huge advantage in the water over species not adapted to live aquatically, and further artificial enhancements can widen this gap further.

In all environments, but especially aquatic ones, Sar utilize sensing organs called electroreceptors across their bodies to detect the electromagnetic fields that most living things and some machinery produces. This allows them a seemingly supernatural awareness of their surroundings, particularly when they sense something outside of visual range. Sar do not need to have a direct line of sight to pinpoint electromagnetic fields, but can find them through solid materials such as thin walls. Additionally, currents in the ocean produce electromagnetic fields that the Sar can use for orientation and navigation. A lateral line, a sensing organ that runs the length of the Sar's body, also helps them detect movement nearby in the water, though it does not work on land.

Sar can sexually reproduce on land or in the water, and have live births; maturation is reached at fourteen years, with a typical life span of eighty. Rarely, female Sar may have a type of asexual birth known as parthenogenesis, in which the offspring is a half or full clone of the mother. Socially, Sar may hunt alone but usually seek prey in groups of six or more; common wisdom puts at least two hunters on land. On their homeworld Sar generally only hunt on the main continent or islands if they have failed to catch any food in the water or to satisfy a certain craving or ritual. Sar communities may be as small as a dozen individuals, or as large as several million, depending on location and definition.

Physically, Sar are among the strongest beings in the Kitsune Empire, with mass and raw power on par with that of a Korr or Setulanite. In Sar culture many decisions are made by contest of strength, if not physical, then mental or spiritual. Even in the Kitsune Empire, most Sar do not respect a leader who does exhibits weakness, particularly in hunting or in the military. Youth, however, are usually more liberally minded than their parents, as they did not grow up fighting the Danaversians. Sar who live or work off world tend to be more tolerate of such attitudes than those still tied to their home planet.

A Telrosian Abhuman female
Initiate female
Another Telrosian Abhuman female
An Initiate male

The third pairing of two similar races, Abhumans and Initiates, as they are known, come from two different realms entirely. Initiates, formerly of the Genetic Purity Initiative (GPI), are sentient beings from another dimension who's home nation started and ultimately was defeated in a conflict with several of this dimension's resident states. Stranded in the Milky Way when the rift between dimensions was sealed, the Initiates were taken as refugees by the Kitsune Empire and moved into the Home Galaxy to the planet Celestis. Abhumans, on the other hand, were once native to the planet Cruor, and while their history is murky they are thought to be the descendants of genetically modified humans. Though the Abhumans are in the process of resettling Cruor, members of their group have spread throughout the Kitsune Empire in both galaxies.

Physically, Abhumans and Initiates are comprised of a number of disparate furred races, including humanoid anthropomorphic vulpines, lupines, felines, polecats, 'coons, rodents, weasels, antelope, bats, deer, minks and similar mammal creatures. Examination of Initiate and Abhuman vulpines, lupines and felines, compared to known races such as kitsune, Escan and Alumina, show minor links at best, suggesting they evolved or were engineered separately. As a people, Initiates tend to be apathetic, devastated by the loss of their homeland, but in recent years they have been shored up by the similarly disenfranchised but more optimistic Abhumans. Indeed, Initiate acceptance for Abhumans is considered an encouraging sign, given GPI's intolerance towards those it did not consider genetically pure, a category into which Abhumans would almost certainly fall. In both galaxies Abhuman and Initiate populations, infrastructure and economy are on the rise as the shattered peoples pull together what they have left and take advantage of the Kitsune Empire's generosity to build a better future.

[Xiscapia]

Territory:

Territory, and the resources, populations, technology and industry within them, is the lifeblood of the Kitsune Empire. When a star system is considered controlled by the Kitsune Empire, all space and objects within a one-lightyear radius from the system's primary star is considered under Xiscapian jurisdiction and protected by Xiscapian forces. All Xiscapian, indigenous and friendly foreign craft which enter Xiscapian territory are typically scanned and asked about their destination and intentions in the area. Unknown or suspicious vessels are usually intercepted and boarded for inspection. Ships which resist inspection or are known to be hostile can expect to be fired upon on sight, with an aim to repel, capture or destroy them. In systems which are jointly controlled, the Kitsune Empire will usually work together with the other power(s) to manage defense and law enforcement and trade and immigration.

Kitsune Imperial Holdings and Colonies are separated into four distinct groups: The Inner or Core Systems, the Outer or Rim Systems, Milky Way Galaxy Holdings, and Protectorates.

Inner/Core Systems:The main holdings of the Kitsune Empire inhabit a dwarf galaxy outside the Milky Way known to its inhabitants as the Home Galaxy. Inner Systems are the oldest colonies and conquests within the Home Galaxy and are closest to the heart of the Kitsune Empire. They are the most densely populated and heavily defended of all territories.

Outer/Rim Systems: The Outer Systems are systems that are within the Home Galaxy but were colonized after the first expansion period, and tend to have been conquered rather than colonized. Relative to the Inner Systems, they are are more lightly defended, have larger alien populations and are more distant from each other.

Milky Way Galaxy Holdings: Milky Way Galaxy Holdings are exactly what the name implies: Xiscapian territory within the Milky Way Galaxy. As of Year Of Our Lord 25, this includes all four quadrants of the galaxy as well as a central fractual Earth.

Protectorates: Protectorate simply refers to worlds or systems that are controlled by a foreign government that is heavily influenced by Imperial policy and decisions. Protectorates will often have Xiscapian citizens and businesses within them and will sometimes be occupied by Imperial Military forces in cooperation with a native defense force.

Minor holdings include mining systems without significant populations, empty systems seeded with sensor drones as part of a defense grid, deep space outposts and territories on worlds or systems owned by the Kitsune Empire within the domain of another power (e.g. embassies, mining operations). Some minor holdings are listed, but many are not. However, all minor holdings are defended as sovereign Xiscapian territory.

Population: The number of sapient beings in the system who are counted as Xiscapian citizens.
Inhabitable planets in system: The number of inhabitable planets in the system. Does not count planets which are dead or otherwise not inhabitable.
Moons in system: The number of satellites in the system. Generally only counts those which are inhabitable.
Planets owned: The number of inhabitable planets in the system claimed by the Kitsune Empire.
Moons owned: The number of inhabitable satellites in the system claimed by the Kitsune Empire.
Cities: The number and names of the major population centers in the system.
Defenses: The defenses of the system, including but not limited to exo assets such as Imperial and native fleets, static emplacements and weapons, allied forces and Customs fleets. Irregulars such as corporate fleets, transitory armed traders and similar units are not usually mentioned.
Garrison: The number or unit of troops in the system. Militias and levies are usually counted, but corporate mercenaries and armed private citizens are not.
Geography: A misnomer, as these detail the climate and terrain of the system's main planet(s). If no main planet(s) exist then this section will cover the layout of the wider system. Pictures of highlights of the system are often included.
System governor: The Imperial Governor appointed to exert control over the system. If the system is a protectorate, jointly controlled or minor, the Governor will either be listed as the highest ranking diplomat or officer, or its resident native administrator.
Exports: The goods and services traded with the wider Kitsune Empire and foreign states.
Overview: History, details and miscellaneous facts.

[Xiscapia]

The Xiscapian System:

Population: 20,000,000,000 (95% kitsune, 5% other)
Planets in system: 4
Moons in system: At least 500
Planets owned: 4
Moons owned: All
Cities: Rio Casa (capital), Tenfour, Lune, Providence, Vador, Skagway, Tanto, Kel, +12 others

Defenses:
FTLi field
10,000 defense platforms (6,000 B.L.A.S.T, 4,000 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Fields
Minefields
Xiscapian Customs Force (XCF) (Advanced)
Xiscapian Home Fleet (I Fleet)
Xiscapian Reserves Fleet (IX Fleet)
Garrison: 1st Motherland Guard, various reserve/training units

Geography: See XISCAPIA
System governor: Emperor Foxfire Rose
Exports:
Raw and refined ore, precious metals, gems, electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, starships, computers and computer parts, transport equipment, miscellaneous manufactured articles, foodstuffs, general industrial machinery and equipment, professional scientific and control instruments and apparatus, telecommunication and sound record and reproduce apparatus and equipment and organic chemicals.

Overview:

The Xiscapian System is the heart of the Kitsune Empire, home to a significant portion of its total kitsune population, and the very heavily defended.

Lins

The closest planet to the star, Lins is small, rocky, hot planet. Devoid of any life, with daytime surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead and no significant deposits of valuable minerals, it has been almost entirely ignored aside from a few scientific expeditions and the occasional military weapons test. A handful of probes, research stations and sensor arrays are in orbit, but less than one hundred people work there. Some proposals have drawn up the construction of a colony or military base on the world, but there has been little interest from potential colonists and the Xiscapian Imperial Military has already heavily fortified the rest of the system. For the time being Lins is considered unimportant and not an area of any concentration.

Korrillia
Hundreds of times the size of Lins and having slightly more surface area than Xiscapia, Korrillia was once home to a race of brutal, warlike people known as the Korr, who colonized the planet several years after the Xiscapians founded Xiscapia. From the inception of civilization, Korrillia was heavily industrialized, thirty percent of the planet covered in factories devoted to making machines and componets for machines, while much of the usable remaining area was used for labs and cloning centers that produced food the feed the massive Korr population. Pollution was heavy, and after a millenia of abuse, combined with ferocious warfare between both the Korr Supremacy and the Xiscapian Empire, and, after that, warring Korr factions, turned the entire planet into a wasteland. The seas dried up or became poisoned and dead and much of the surface was covered in crashed ships, leaking reactors, unexploded munitions, wreckage and rubble. Very few plants or animals survived the destruction, leaving bacteria and insects to have free reign over the blasted world. In the Tenth Year of Our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose the Xiscapian government contracted several terraforming and cleaning companies to make Korrillia habitable by higher life again, hoping to colonize the world for the Kitsune Empire. However, the planet was 'under construction' for most of this period and large swaths of it remained uninhabitable, most of the world being toxic to most biological life. Nevertheless, hopes remained high and the work progressed steadily if slowly.

After another decade went by advances in terraforming technology, greater interest in Korrillia due to a population explosion and more assessments by foreign companies enabled the Xiscapian government to pick up the pace in reforming the world. At current time ten percent of the planet has been restored and one city (Renewal) has been established. Orbital presence is very heavy, with thousands of shipyards, construction craft, habitats, factories and other facilities supporting the terraforming effort. Imperial estimates put total restoration of the planet achievable in ten years. Leases are already being given out to those who wish to purchase land and resource rights.

*Korr
**Korrillia in the Aftermath
Part of Korrillia as of now (Note the presence of plant life and cloud formations)

Jomstar

The blue colored gas giant seperating Korrillia and Xiscapia, Jomstar has over five hundred satellites orbiting it, many of which hold Xiscapian scientific research stations, military bases, sensor outposts and the ruins of both Korr and Xiscapian fortresses and strongholds from the days of the Korr War. Almost the entire Korr War was fought on or among these moons, adding thousands of destroyed vessels and wreckage to the classic ring of natural debries that orbits the planet. Because of this it is a frequent destination for salvage and recovery vessels, as new battle sites are being discovered almost daily. An armada's worth of defensive weaponry is said to be hidden on or around the moons or even inside the gasous world itself, and the sector is scanned and patrolled heavily by the Xiscapian Imperial Navy to deter pirates or smugglers from attempting to make bases on them. With the reconstruction work being done on Korrillia, a number of stations exist as midway points between Xiscapia and Korrillia.

Solar Sail drone outpost near Jomstar
A research outpost on one of Jomstar's many moons
An abandoned Korr Wars-era fortress on one of the moons

Xiscapia:

The fourth and final world of the Xiscapian system, Xiscapia is the recognized (if not actual) homeworld of the race of kitsune. It is the central planet and seat of government for the Kitsune Empire of Xiscapia.

Geography
Xiscapia is 68% water, and has three large continents. Padga, to the north, is cool and wet, with warm, rainy summers, lush springs, cool, brisk autumns, and cold, dead winters. It is covered in thick forests and crisscrossing streams and rivers, mostly flat in the middle and east but hilly to the west, unbroken until they reach the sea. To the north are the mighty Alkrash mountains, which stretch until the polar ocean. The southern portion of the continent is made up of plains. Padga is home to some of the largest kitsune cities in the Kitsune Empire, including the capital and seat of government, Rio Casa, the major business and immigration hub, Tenfour, the university city and cultural center Lune and the beautiful, old-style island city of Providence.

The eastern most continent, called Forworn, is sparsely populated relative to Padga. To the east are rolling plains and rugged platues. Jungles to the west and south are broken only by occasional rivers. The continent has only three major cities, Skagway being the capital, with a handful of minor towns and countless small villages. Being neither

To the west is Slipslah. The entire western half of the landmass is arid desert which extends into the south up to the frozen lands at the pole. The continent does has pleasant coasts and mountains to the far west, which is where the bulk of the population has settled. To the east and north is fertile farmland. Most of the cities here are along the coast, with vast swaths of the interior uninhabited. This continent houses most of Xiscapia’s factories, farms, and natural resources.

To Padga's west is the Island of Vador (also the Island of Heroes or the Island of the Dead) where notable kitsune, including great officers, diplomats, officials, Emperors and Empresses are interned. Funeral pyres made there, particularly after large battles or catastrophic events, can usually be seen from the furthest limits of Padga's coast. The island is inhabited largely by Priests and Cultists who take care of and watch over the monuments to the fallen.

A few miles off the east coast is the island Providence with the city of the same name. The island is a popular haven for offworlders, second only to Tenfour.

To Slipslah's west is the island of Glega, which is a quiet rural island.

To Forworn's west there are the Islands of Rune, which are covered in the ruins of an ancient civilization. Investigations by both scientific teams and members of the Church and Cult are constantly ongoing to learn more about the people who lived there centuries before the Xiscapians settled the planet.

Political Map
Physical Map
Map Key

Kel:

Kel with daytime atmosphere. Note the Monoliths of Ash visible to the left.
Subterranean City
A mole miner, commonly used in mining operations.
An automated mining vessel
Population: 25,016,846 (80% kitsune, 15% human, 5% other)
Cities: Kel (capital), Someia, Kintel
Defenses: Anti-orbital batteries and garrisons; the home world's own defenses cover both moons.
Overview: Kel is a rocky planatoid with a thin atmosphere, and it mostly barren, devoid of fauna and only a few hardy plants. Most of the Xiscapians who live and work there are somehow connected with the mining, processing, shipment or sale of the ore that is in the moon, and around that cities have sprung up. Freighters with holds full of ore go frequently go down to the homeworld, bringing Guilda crystals (power crystals), silver, and cortosis, a durable metal which used in the building of warships and hardened structures. The moon is known for its mining industry, hard-nosed people and organized crime. The Syndicate have a stong presence here.

The Inner Worlds:
Cholk system:

Population: 10,000,000,000 (95% kitsune, 4% human, 1% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 5
Planets owned: Cholk
Moons owned: 3 (Thep, Lona, Sompton) (Thep orbits Cholk, Sompton orbits a small uninhabited red world, Lona is a military base on an icy moon orbiting the gas giant)
Cities: 10 (5 on Cholk, 1 on Lona, 3 on Thep, 1 on Sompton) (capitol: Saki)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Parish)
FTLi field
3,000 defense platforms (2,000 B.L.A.S.T., 1,000 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Field
Mine field
Cholk Customs Force (CCF) (Advanced)
(Note: A standard Advanced Customs Fleet consists of ten Thresher class corvettes, three Dusky class Cutters (reclassified from Destroyers), one Veil class Interdiction Frigate and one Silvertip class Stealth Ship)
Cholk System Fleet: (Fleet II)
Garrison: Third and Sixth Army Groups, Xiscapian Freedom Corps Militias

Geography: Cholk has only one, giant continent, the landmass covering about sixty percent of the world. It is pleasantly cool there, with cities nestled in between the mountains and beside rivers and lakes. The vegetation is mostly grass and tall trees.
Mountain River
Surface military base during a Boolean orbital attack
Subterranean City
System governor: Governor Vist
Exports: Arms, starships, computers and componets, foodstuffs.
Overview: The earliest colony to have been established by the Kitsune Empire, Cholk was settled just after the Korr War ended by Xiscapian settlers. Being so close to the heart of the Empire and a major population and production center Cholk is heavily fortified and has a large defending fleet and garrison to protect it. Cholk serves as a stopover between the Xiscapian and Wuin Systems, though it has few exports except for its trade with the Xiscapian System. The system has only rarely been attacked twice in its long history, in its first days by pirates and once during the Thirteenth Danaversian War, and its defense force has been successful in repelling all assaults with minimal damage. The system's position allows it to quickly call up reinforcements from Xiscapia.

Wuin system:

Population: 12,000,000,000 (Xiscapian holding only) (50% kitsune, 30% human, 20% other)
Planets in system: 3
Inhabitable planets owned: 1 (Slint)
Moons in system: 78
Moons owned: 0
Cities: 2 (Haven, Lantic) (on Slint, the only habitable planet in the system aside from Apex)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Lemniscus)
FTLi field
3,000 defense platforms (2,000 B.L.A.S.T., 1,000 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Field
Mine Field
Wuin Customs Force (WCF) (Advanced)
Wuin System Fleet: (Fleet III)
Xiscapian Garrison:
Seventh and Eighth Army Groups

Alversian Forces:
VI Fleet

Commander: Admiral Michael Bartlett
Location: Apex
Flagship: APS Covertine

Dreadnoughts: 7x

Battlecruisers: 10x

Carriers: 4x

Heavy Cruisers: 11x

Cruisers: 14x

Light Cruisers: 6x

AA Cruisers: 3x

Destroyers: 16x

Survey Cruisers: 3x

Corvettes: 105x

Fleet Total:
21x capitals
34x cruisers
121x escorts
6x support

182x warships total

Alversian Garrison:
133,000 troops
5 x Infantry Divisions
1 x Armoured Division
10 x Mechanised Divisions

Geography: Slint is a red desert, valuable for it's healing plants in it's few jungles and it's Aenibt gas, which is breathable but used to power beam weapons.
A small surface outpost
One of the floating cities
Smaller floating towns.
System governor: Drell
Exports: Aenibt gas, medicine, miscellaneous manufactured goods.
Overview: A shared Xis-Alvo colony, Wuin was the second holding to be established by the Kitsune Empire, being annexed shortly after Cholk was. Is is the midpoint between Xiscapia and Alversia, and serves as a trade center between the People's Republic and the Kitsune Empire as well as an important transit system to those travelling between the two nations. Additionally the Wuin System received a Stargate connecting it to the Phenian System shortly before the Danaversian War, and also established itself as the primary trade base with the Republic of Setulan, bringing a large influx of shipping. Because of its position and connection with the Milky Way Galaxy Wuin is a critical piece of territory to the Kitsune Empire. Due to this it is very heavily defended.

Protectorate:

Celestis System:

Population: 800,000 (88% non-kitsune, 12% kitsune)
Inhabited planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 0
Moons in system: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Celestis
Defenses:
1x Tipperary class Station (Sileo Tumulosus)
Celestis Defense Fleet (TBD) (Fleet XIV)
Celestis Custom Force (CCF) (20x Destructor class corvettes, run by members of the Confederate Navy)
1,000 defensive platforms (600 B.L.A.S.T., 400 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe field
Garrison:
242ed Division (10,000 troops)
Confederate militia (Roughly 20,000 irregulars)

Geography:
Forty percent of Celestis is a gigantic urban sprawl of mostly identical buildings. The rest of the planet consists of plains and former government farms.
Slums
Skyline in rebuilt portion of the city
Interior of XDC offices
System governor:
President Malina Losvara
Exports:
Manufactured goods, foodstuffs.
Overview:
Celestis has had a long history of being repeatedly captured by one race or nation before a new one comes to force the occupiers off, always paying for their conquest in blood. First the Calaverians came together and unified, then they were wiped out by the Imitators, who were then wiped out by the Xiscapians, before the Calaverians came back and negotiated to have their world sold to them, before being ultimately destroyed by the Xiscapians, who then gave the planet to the refugees from the fascist state known as the Genetic Purity Initiative to use as their new home. There was hope in the Kitsune Empire that, with the ideas of slavery, racial hatred and class superiority removed from the lives of the refugees, they would become a peaceful and prosperous state, but ultimately culture shock, disillusionment and ineffective ruling on the part of the provisional government set up by the Xiscapians crushed that hope. The Confederacy of States, like the Calaverian Universal Government before it, became little more than a vassal for the Kitsune Empire, which poured research and funds into fighting the hostility, antipathy and general depression of the refugees. There has been some small success with the common Confederate, but the government remains corrupt, inefficient and heavily reliant on Xiscapian aid. The Syndicate has a very strong presence on Celestis, and the Confederacy is almost completely dependent on the Kitsune Empire for protection and defense.

Dolosus System:

Population: 5,000,000,000 (97% kitsune, 2% human, 1% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons in system: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Mizu, Kaji, Koudo, Sukai
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Arkady)
2x Azov Stations
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
3,000 defense platforms (2,000 B.L.A.S.T., 1,000 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Field
Mine Field
Dolosus Customs Force (DCF) (Advanced)
Dolosus System Fleet: (Fleet V)
Garrison: Tenth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Army Groups

Geography: Mostly plains with lakes and some mountains. Frequent rains and tornados.
Example Photos:
Plains
Plains with mountain background
Plains with lake and mountains
Mountainside
System governor: Governor Dovenhawk
Exports: Foodstuffs (mainly agricultural), droids and weapons.
Overview: Established as part of the Celestis Exchange, Dolosus is just inside former Greali space, and was marked to serve as a base for any incursions into the Greali Empire. During this time it was used to observe Greali fleet movements and deployments and was slated to be used for commerce raiders to attack Greali shipping in case of open warfare. Full war never broke out, however, and the Greali Empire fell to the Danaversians. Because of this the system maintains an unusually large defensive fleet, which it retained into the Thirteenth Danaversian War and beyond. This colony is one for the people, for those on vacation, retirees, and a peaceful place for people to raise families without fear. It is linked to the Kana Wormhole in the Beta Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Pamp System

Population: 3,500,000,000 (66% Remelar, 25% human, 8% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons in system: 156
Moons owned: 13
Cities: Hundreds both above and below ground, capital is Revin (pop: 39 million)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Nicotero)
3,000 defense platforms (2,000 B.L.A.S.T., 1,000 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Field
Mine Field
Pamp Customs Force (PCF) (Advanced)
Pamp System Fleet (Fleet VIII)
Garrison: Eighteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Sixth Army Groups, plus Remelar militia

Geography:
Broken into four continents seperated by relatively shallow seas, much Pamp's surface is flat and covered in short grass where settlers have cut down forests to make homes, though there are mountains on the northern landmasses. Thick, foggy forests cover thousands of square miles in some areas, hiding secret entrances to underground Remlar cities.
Pamp Forest
Hanger Bay
Snapshot of Pamp city. A Greali-era train rail can be seen in the foreground.
System Governor: Governor Erus
Exports:
Petroleum, lumber, iron ore, gold, foodstuffs.
Overview:
Year of our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose Ten the Intergalactic Empire of Greal invaded Pamp, sweeping aside the native Remelar military, disbanding the government and annexing the entire planet into the Intergalactic Empire. For seven long years the Remelars suffered under the harsh rule of the Greali as they were slowly crushed by the oppression, but during Year of our Lord Foxfire Rose Seventeen warships and troops from the Communist State of Calaverias, under the guidance of Xiscapian General Caedo, invaded and captured Pamp. The Calaverian Observer starships obliterated the Greali Naval forces stationed there and, after destroying almost the entire Army garrison, the Galactic Observation Units (Calaverian shocktroops) captured the survivors, the commanding Admiral and General and the resident militia intact. Pamp would remain a Calaverian holding until the Thirteenth Danaversian War, when combined Danaversian and Boolean forces defeated Calaverian forces stationed there and occupied the world. A short time later the Calaverians counterattacked, destroying or routing the Danaversian fleet there, before Kitsune Imperial forces took control of the space and bombarded Danaversian ground troops from orbit, taking control of the planet.

[Xiscapia]

Outer Worlds

Protectorate:

Nova Max System:

Population: 11,000,000,000 (95% Berrax, 5% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 0
Moons in system: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities:
Callin (capital)
Defenses:
1x Soryu Station (Eucalyptus) (manned by Berrax Revolutionary Navy units)
Berrax Navy
Nova Max Task Force (KIN units) (TBD)
Garrison:
Berrax Revolutionary Army (estimated at 100,000,000 troops plus mechanized units) (include also some one thousand Xiscapian military advisors)

Geography:
Nova Max is a rocky, volcanic world naturally inhospitable to outsiders. In some areas the ash and smoke is so thick it is dangerous for a non-Berrax to breath the air without a filter, and much of the planet is carved with ravines, crevices, caves and caverns that would be deadly for most species to enter but are agreeable to the Berrax. From orbit the planet appears shrouded in a brown fog, and on the surface the light from the system's white dwarf star is weak and dim. Berrax surface cities are generally the only places where outsiders can thrive.
A Berrax surface city
Another Berrax surface city. Note the lava rivers running through it.
A lava field, of the sort frequented by the Berrax.
System Governor:
President Callin
Exports:
Ore, craft metals, gems.
Overview:
During the Imitator War Nova Max was occupied by Greali troops who were attempting to put down the Berrax Rebellion. A number of incidents, ranging from the slaughter of Berrax civilians at the hands of stormtroopers, the destruction of entire cities due to the deployment of Greali nuclear weapons, and the Greali attempt at genocide when they began to ship Berrax off Nova Max to the Imitators, prompted the Kitsune Empire to act in order to protect the Berrax. Barely saving the race from extinction, the Xiscapians ensured the survival of both the species and the rebellion but were unable to prevent the planet from being occupied again once their fleet and troops withdrew. Shortly after the liberation of Miller by an Xis-Alvo task force, the same fleet hit Nova Max, using a combination of demoralizing diversionary tactics, a faux Xiscapian "Rebel" fleet that was actually an Imperial fleet in disguise and the capture of a high-ranking Greali Admiral to force the Greali Navy to withdraw from the planet. Ground units, in coordination with the Berrax rebels, destroyed or captured the remnants of the Greali army and thus finally freed Nova Max.

Soon afterward the Berrax rebels declared their planet the Republic of Berrax, and, with the help of the Kitsune Empire, constructed a government. President Callin, the former rebel leader, began a swift program to eliminate poverty and bring wealth and peace to the nation through strong bonds with foreign states, particularly the Kitsune Empire and the People's Republic, and the institution of a free market economy. His efforts paid off when the Intergalactic Empire of Greal collapsed, allowing the Berrax to snatch up the former Greali worlds of Grux, Hurtrix and Laxer, enlarging the population and wealth of the Republic. A setback occurred when the Commonwealth of Malcastrineze captured Grux, but the Berrax were able to hold on to their other three planets. Since that time Xiscapian businesses have invested in the Berrax economy, and the Syndicate has firmly established itself in the Republic, mostly on the planet of Laxer. Despite this the general Berrax population remains convivial almost to the point of worship to Xiscapians and, to a lesser extent, the Alversians, presumably because they are eager to show their gratitude to their saviors.

While the Berrax military started off as little more than the old guard of rebels, it has grown into a respectable force. The Revolutionary Army has purchased hundreds of Heartbreaker Anti-Infantry Tanks, a trio of Abaddon combat walkers and a number of other weapons and pieces of equipment from the arms producing companies of the Kitsune Empire, most notably Triad Corporation, and took its initial training and tactics directly from the Xiscapian Imperial Army. The Navy, which was nearly nonexistent for most of the rebellion, has grown to include three native-produced classes of cruiser (Patrol, Battle and Command) and one hundred and fifty Destructor corvettes (reclassified as "Heavy Gunships" by the Berrax Navy) donated by the Xiscapian Imperial Navy. This fleet has been spread over the three worlds of the Republic, with the heaviest concentration around Nova Max. Having started out with nothing but hope, idealism and drive, the Berrax Republic has transformed into a force in its own right, and is prospering economically and culturally as it continues to grow.

Elder System

Old Xiscapia
Population: 10,000,000 (98% kitsune, 2% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons in system: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: Central Hub (3 million), Northen Hub (1,000,000), Western Hub (2,000,000)
Defenses:
Old Xiscapia Defense Fleet (Fleet IV)
"Salvage" Fleet (Fleet VI)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
1,000 Defense Platforms
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: Xiscapian Freedom Corps 1st Army (100,000 militia supplemented by Army troops and Imperial Marines)

Geography: The Central Hub area is cool and surrounded by temperate forest, and experiences frequent rainstorms and fog. The Northern Hub is situated in the mountains, where much of the ground is rock or ice, the winds are always high and the air is thin. The Western Hub is in the middle of grassland, and experiences only slight breezes despite the eighty plus degree heat.
Ancient Ruin
The abandoned Rebel mountain base
Central Hub
System Governor: Governor Roan
Exports: Artifacts, scientific research, Guilda crystals.
Overview: Discovered Year of our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose Eight, Old Xiscapia was found devoid of higher life forms but rich in ancient Xiscapian artifacts and lore, as well as coveted Guilda crystals. It was quickly determined that Old Xiscapia was the homeland of all kitsune, and its discovery benefited both the scientific and religious community hugely. Though the Imperial administration there was tiny, more of an outpost than an actual colony, Old Xiscapia was considered to have a great deal of value to the people in general, and regularly attracted legions of scientists and priests. Much of the planet was captured by Xiscapian and Alversian rebels at the climax of the False Rebellion crises, but it was quickly retaken by Xiscapian and Alversian forces. Things only stayed quiet there for a few years before the homeworld again felt the touch of foreign hands.

During the Thirteenth Danaversian War Old Xiscapia was invaded and captured by the Booleans. As the ground garrison under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Roan was captured, a resistance called the Xiscapian Freedom Corps almost immediately sprung up under the leadership of one Commander Amyiko, a KIN officer who survived the space battle. Grand Admiral Krystal contracted Coalition-aligned mercenaries (a squad from the Setulanite group Veteran's Trust and the crew of the Elixir of Life) to smuggle supplies and equipment to the rebels and train them to fight the occupation. By the time the Joint Division liberated Old Xiscapia late in the war the Freedom Corps, with assistance from the mercenaries, the local population and Boolean defectors, had brought the occupation to its knees. After the war ended a rebuilding effort was started to give

Neo Kirisuban System:

Population: 2,000,000,000 (80% Neo Kirisuban, 15% kitsune, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Planets owned: 2
Moons in system: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: Too numerous to mention
Defenses:
1x Azov class Station (Kobyashi) (jointly manned by members of the KIN and the NKDF)
Neo Kirisuban Customs Force (NKCF) (Stock) (manned by members of the NKDF)
(Note: A standard Stock Customs Fleet generally consists of ten Archer class Gunships, five Ravenwood class Corvettes, and three Fleetfoot class Patrol Cruisers)
Neo Kirisuban Protection Battlegroup (Fleet XI)
Garrison:
Twenty Seventh Army Group, N-K militia

Geography: The two habitable planets in the system, Kirisubo Primus and Kirisubo Beta, are lush tropical and jungle worlds. Both have surfaces which are made mostly of water, with a scattering of islands of various sizes throughout.
A city on Kirisubo Primus
A Kirisuban warrior in traditional dress outside a military base.
A coastal starport on Kirisubo Primus
System Governor: Empress Fujiko and Prime minister Aiko Kayabuki (constitutional monarchy)
Exports: Fruit, fish, medical and recreational drugs

Overview: The Kitsune Empire first had contact with the Neo Kirisubons in Year of Our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose Fourteen, and the two nations maintained friendly relations, trade and conducted several joint operations during that time. A year after the start of the Danaversian War, however, Empress Fujiko petitioned for her nation be annexed into the Kitsune Empire, which was quickly processed and accepted. Apparently she feared that Ternion forces would attack the Neo Kirisubon system and, as the Neo Kirisubon Defense Fleet (NKDF) consisted of only a handful of corvette-sized exploration vessels and a few battalions of troops, was not confident that either her military or her economy could withstand such an assault. Thus Neo Kirisubo became an Imperial holding, where the Empress and Prime Minister still hold Legislative and Judicial powers but the Xiscapians control the Executive branch and provide protection and Customs in cooperation with what remains of the NKDF.

Akwia System:

Population: 1,500,000 (99% kitsune, 1% other)
Planets in system: 5
Planets owned: 5
Moons in system: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: 0
Defenses:
Akwia Customs Force (ACF) (Stock)
Akwia Defense Fleet
1x Protector class Starbase (A3) (Apollyon)
20x Azov class Stations
AA: (Angel's Vortex, Angel's Grave, Angel's Smite, Angel's Smile)

AB: (Savage Angel, Heaven's Wrath, Twisted Angel, Heaven's Ascent)

AC: (Angelic Fury, Heavenly Storm, Heaven's Spiral, Deliverance)

AD: (Rising Devil, Devil's Favor, Hell's Envy, Hell's Wrath)

AE: (Angel of Mons, Seraphim, Nepenthe, Aidenn)

Garrison:
848th Marine Brigade

Geography: The Akwia System consists of five rocky, barren, airless planets that are nevertheless extremely mineral rich; it's estimated that the Akwia System alone could, by itself, provide the Kitsune Empire with enough metals to last six hundred years at the current rate of growth.
Interior of one of the Azov stations
Interior hanger of the Apollyon
Three of the Akwia Planets.
System Governor: Commander (Rear Admiral) Nakane
Exports: Raw and refined ores, minerals and precious metals
Overview: Discovered during the Danaversian War by a scout ship on a routine cataloging assignment, the ship's pilot took the opportunity to name the newly discovered system after himself. A few hours later, once accurate readings of the planets could be taken, the system went from being of only mild interest to being critically important to the war effort. There was some brief tension between the Kitsune Empire and a nation known as the Allied Governments over ownership of the system, but after a week of negotiations and a show of Imperial force the foreigners backed off and the the Xiscapians claimed the system as rightfully theirs. Most of the system's population lives either on board the stations or in sealed domes on the planet A-3. Merchants, mostly ore haulers, are a constant sight in the system.

Locar System:

Population: 1,000,000 (75% kitsune, 25% Phenian)
Inhabitable planets in system: 2 (Locar, Shallamar)
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1 (total)
Moons owned: 1
Cities:
Althea (Shallamar)
Evangeline (Locar)
Defenses:
1x Azov class Station (Fathoms of the Odyssey)
Shallamar Defense Fleet (TBD)
Shallamar Customs Force (SSF) (Advanced)
500 defense platforms (400 B.L.A.S.T., 100 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe field
Garrison:
Twenty Eighth Army Group

Geography:
Shallamar is a rocky, mountainous world honeycombed by caverns and caves. Locar is a red cold desert planet.
Underground Tram
Built-up Subcity
Small settlement on Locar
System governor: Governor Kushida
Exports: Raw and refined ore, precious metals, gems, starships, computers and computer parts, miscellaneous manufactured articles, general industrial machinery and equipment, telecommunication and sound record and reproduce apparatus and equipment and organic chemicals.
Overview: The planet Locar, originally discovered by a Confederate survey vessel, was landed on by Xiscapian and Phenian troops and scientists when a strange signal was detected radiating from a organic but unnatural tower on the surface. The source of the emissions turned out to be a buried Genetic Purity Initiative starship, which had been reactivated by the proximity of the refugees in the Confederacy of States. The vessel was claimed by the Xiscapian Imperial Navy and named the Sable Star, and it was soon discovered that the kilometer-long vessel had the power to, through the use of energy from artificially produced reality-warping singularities, the consolidation and transformation of dark matter and gravity manipulating devices, create entire planets at the whim of the operators. This power was used to create the planet of Shallamar, three quarters of which is owned by the Kitsune Empire and one quarter of which is owned by the Colony of Phenia, while Locar is three-fourths Phenian and one-fourth Xiscapian. Despite Confederate attempts to legally claim rights to the Sable Star, the vessel remains in Xiscapian hands, her design, properties and location all closely guarded secrets.

Lagash System:

Population: 1,000,000 (55% kitsune, 40% Boolean, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 4
Moons in system: 24
Moons owned: 1
Cities:
Faurfax
Defenses:
Kallista Station
Lagash Defence Fleet (XIX)
Lagash Customs Force (LCF) (Stock)
Minefield
Early Warning Probe Network
1000 defense platforms
Garrison:
299th Corps
Geography: Lagash is a very cold, desert planet covered in red dust. It has moderate mineral reserves and has been partially terraformed to support above-ground settlements.
Terraforming slowly progressing
Colony ships near city under construction
A small runabout being refueled on the surface of Lagash
System Governor:
Exports: Minerals, finished goods.
Overview: Lagash was discovered by an expedition mounted by the Cruiser XIS Starrider mere months before the beginning of the Danaversian War. Because of the conflict, the extreme distance from the other colonies and holdings and the relatively small level of resources and attractive land, few people came to settle the system until the war ended. Once the war was over colonization picked up again, with large numbers of Booleans displaced by the war coming to settle on Lagash with the aid of both government and corporate-sponsored programs. A number of biodome habitats and orbitals were constructed for the Booleans to live in while most of the rest of the population came to inhabit the underground cities built by the Xiscapians. This has created a stratified society where the groundside kitsune are largely responsible for the refining of raw materials from the planet and their production into useful forms, while the Booleans in space handle much of the commerce and trade.

Protectorate:

Avalas System:

Population: 2,000,000,000 (90% Avalan, 10% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 0
Moons in system: 10
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Ventrilo
Defenses:
Avalan Interplanetary Military
Avalan Fleet of the Technocracy
Xiscapian Corporate Fleets

Garrison:
Avalan Army Unit
Xiscapian Corporate Militias

Geography: Avalas is a world exclusively of snow and ice. Temperatures are subzero all year round, and there is no liquid surface water to be found. The atmosphere is breathable, but unprotected exposure will kill a human or similar being in minutes; flora is nonexistent and fauna is rare. Topography is little more than endless tundra wastes. Due to the harshness of the climate most of the population lives in orbit or underground.
The Avalan wastes
Underground Avalan streets
An Avalan production officer overseeing final checks on newly made fighters
System Governor: Avalan Oligarchy
Exports: Shipbuilding, mineral mining, manufacturing, networking.
Overview: The Technocracy of Avalas was discovered by the Kitsune Empire when the Xiscapians located their lost homeworld; the Avalans landed on Old Xiscapia shortly afterwards and assisted the Xiscapians in exploration and preservation. Since then diplomatic contact was opened between the two states and the Technocracy was slowly but surely made into an Xiscapian protectorate over the course of years. A quiet, unassuming people, the Avalans are pale-skinned humans who specialize in technology and engineering, as their own homes clearly show; any given Avalan settlement is a marvel of engineering, as it has to be for the race to survive the harsh climate of their planet. Because of this the Kitsune Empire outsources a great deal of shipbuilding to the Technocracy, which busily works away at building starships, droids, weapons, implants and other valuable assets in its own corner of the Home Galaxy. The Technocracy maintains its own government, economy and defense force, which is watched over by the Kitsune Empire.

During the Danaversian War the Technocracy provided the bulk of the Kitsune Empire's outsourced warship construction, rivaled only by the Berrax. For all its industrial and technological muscle the Avalans didn't participate militarily beyond protecting convoys and providing intelligence on the nearby Boolean occupation of Old Xiscapia, as the conservative Avalans do not like to project force beyond their own borders unless absolutely necessary. After the war Avalas met much of the Xiscapian Imperial Navy's demand for new ships and took on the implanting of a number of Xiscapian companies, further strengthening the planetary nation's already powerhouse economy. It is rare to see an Avalan anywhere but Avalas, to the point that many in the Home Galaxy are not even aware of their existence. The Avalans prefer it this way and continue their steady work behind the scenes.

Ranus System:

Population: 4,000,000,000 (1,500,000,000 under Xiscapian domain) (70% Escan, 20% kitsune, 10% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Moons in system: 15
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 2
Cities: 6 (Onishi (capital), Murdoc, Istvaan, Singelee, Fernix, Fielding)
Defenses:
1x Starbase (Rift)
Minefield
Early Warning Probe Network
Ranus Customs Force (Stock, Escan operated)
Ranus V Defense Fleet (TBD)
Garrison: Second and Fourth Army Groups, Escan militia (~10,000,000 irregulars)
Geography: Ranus V has a single small continent inhabited by its native people, Escans, living in ancient cities built by their ancestors before the Danaversian occupation and suppression of their people. The northern coast is the most heavily populated area, run through by rivers and a significant amount of built-up infrastructure and surrounded by rolling plans. The south-east consists largely of rural farmland and is sparsely populated all the way up to the forests. The western portion is cooler and wetter than the temperate north, with more forests and elevated land than the flat south, where much of the military is based and operates. To the direct south lie heavy forests that lead up to a mountain range encircling a large enclosed lake that streams out to the sea. Map.

A Danaversian War-era fortress occupied by Xiscapian troops.
A coastal factory port.
An Xiscapian part of the capital.

System governor:
Exports: Foodstuffs, organism byproducts, luxury items, information services.
Overview: Attacked during the Danaversian War in the first Coalition offensive since Havalia, Ranus V was invaded by the five major Coalition powers to break the Danaversian initiative and strike a blow against the Empire. During the liberation the Coalition armies were joined by millions of indigenous Escan freedom fighters, who helped to destroy the Danaversian military and the upper-class Escans who had sided with them. Once the enemy was wiped out and most Coalition forces had moved on to other fronts Xiscapia formally annexed Ranus V into the Kitsune Empire, coming to an agreement with the People's Republic to give control of Ranus IV over to the Alversia for joint control over the system. An extensive reconstruction effort was required to rebuild the continent's shattered cities, restore its farmlands and remove the millions of dead and thousands of tons of equipment scattered over the planet, but today Ranus V is slowly growing and modernizing after centuries of time warp under Danaversian oppression. The planet is neither military powerful nor economically impressive, but it has produced the majority of the Xiscapian Escan levies and is notable for its exceptional trackers and pathfinders.

Meyos System:

Population: 300,000,000 (90% Boolean, 8% kitsune, 1% Alumina, 1% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 0
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
Orbital cage grid
FTLi field
100 defense platforms
Early Warning Defense Network
Meyos System Fleet: (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet (Boolean operated)
Garrison: Fifth Army Group and Boolean militia

Geography: Most of the surface of Meyos consists of arid grass plains with only a few lakes and rivers to give moisture; the planet's surface is less than ten percent water and precipitation is an annual event. Due to this reason most of the world's population does not live on the surface, but rather in orbit, with the only surface installations being mining operations and military outposts. Meyo's atmosphere is methane-based, which makes it unattractive to races who breath oxygen, though acceptable for Boolean habitation. Because of its environment the world has not developed much in the way of fauna, and remains relatively pristine. Terraforming efforts were shot down by the natives, however.

A section of the orbital fortress.
An asteroid outpost under attack from Boolean pirates.
The surface of Meyos.

System governor: Governor Cyria
Exports: Processed goods, starships and starship parts, machinery, computing components
Overview: During the Danaversian War Meyos was the manufacturing sector for the Boolean Confederacy. The planet is enclosed within a large system of connected orbital stations and docks, creating nearly impenetrable cage of metal, shields and defensive batteries. Its people, however, were distrustful of the Danaversians and didn't agree with the policies of the government and military against the Coalition. When the Kitsune Imperial Navy arrived in the system to take the planet it only succeeded without casualties because of the civil war that had been raging across the grid, leaving it open for troops to board and take. In the postwar era Meyos is a major manufacturing power and builds a significant portion of the Kitsune Empire's Merchant Marine; it is also notable for having an Aluminan governor.

Athlathon System:

Population: 1,200,000,000 (90% Boolean, 10% kitsune and other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 2
Cities: 8 (capital: Neyos)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Point Omega)
FTLi field
500 defense platforms
Early Warning Defense Network
Athlathon System Fleet: (TBD)
Advanced Customs Fleet (Boolean operated)
Garrison: Fifth Army Group and Boolean militia

Geography: Originally having a disparate number of ecosystems, Athlathon was carefully terraformed by the Booleans over the course of centuries to be divided between fertile agricultural land, tropical paradises, temperate forests and rolling hills. Despite having an oxygen-based atmosphere, this made the planet a travel destination when it was still a part of the Confederacy. Athlathon was considered to be the crown jewel of the nation because of its natural beauty complementing the feat in engineering, and as such its citizens are very protective of the environment. Almost all manufacturing, trade, resource mining and industrial work is done in orbit or in the system's asteroid fields, preserving the planet for people to live on. Apart from some undersea mining operations, the Kitsune Empire has respected that.

One of Athlathon's famous cities.
An ocean city.
Concert hall.

System governor: Governor Mar'har
Exports: Exotic, luxury and mundane Foodstuffs, spices, clothing, entertainment, art, narcotics
Overview: A lush garden world, Athlathon was a center of commerce and travel in the Boolean Confederacy, giving it a stock of highly liberal residents who eschewed the imperialistic trends of the military in favor of the soft power of diplomacy and trade. When war came Athlathon was the first to refuse to send troops and ships to the central government, instead committing most of its forces to protecting its own trade lanes. After the war ended the planet came under Kitsune Imperial control but its government was allowed a high degree of autonomy, more than most Xiscapian conquests, in recognition for the extensive assistance it provided the Coalition against the Danaversians. As Athalthon was physically untouched by the war it retains its status as a tranquil vacation world, but its citizens are fiercely protective of their chosen home and will fight to protect it. This gives Athalthon one of the strongest native defense forces in the Kitsune Empire, ironically given the people's disdain towards armed conflict.

Rennas System:

Population: 500,000,000 (60% Boolean, 30% kitsune, 10% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 54
Planets owned: 0
Moons owned: 54
Cities: Too numerous to list (Reni is the capital on the moon of the same name)
Defenses:
4x Tipperary Stations (Lotus, Chamber, Overarching, Triumphant)
10x Azov Stations
40x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
6,000 defense platforms
Probe network
Minefield
Rennas System Fleet: (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: Ninth Army Group and Boolean levies

Geography: Rennas's 54 moons intermixed with asteroids orbit an orange jovian world. Each of the moons vary in size, surface area, climate and terrain, with some the size of large planetoids while others are little more than asteroids a few kilometers across. Most have no native flora or fauna, but all are inhabited to some degree. Of those that did have natural ecosystems, most were devastated during the war, if not by the fighting then by radiological, chemical and biological waste introduced to them by occupying Boolean or Coalition forces. Some, however, were untouched or continue to thrive.

A Boolean city on one of Renna's moons.
A surface docking bay.
A military defense complex.

System governor: Admiral Gina
Exports: Raw materials, medical products, pharmaceutical products, weapons
Overview: The first Boolean system invaded by the Xiscapians during Operation Quickstrike, Rennas proved to be a challenge to capture. Unlike other systems, there was no central world to invade, but some fifty four moons, most of which were occupied and fortified by Boolean forces. Undertaking a strategy adopted from the Korr Wars, the Kitsune Imperial Army, supported by the Navy, targeted moons that supported logistics, communications and supply, leaving the bases to rot as they bypassed them in favor of striking deeper into the field. With much of the fleet destroyed and transports unable to make it past Xiscapian blockades, the Booleans eventually began surrendering, leading to an Xiscapian occupation of all the satellites and asteroid colonies. In the new era Rennas is primarily an Xiscapian military system, with more troops than civilians and more warships than freighters, and is considered an exceptionally tough nut to crack.

Elanth System:

Population: 10,000,000,000 (75% Escan, 20% kitsune, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: 1 (Elan, capital, ecumenopolis)
Defenses:
2x Tipperary Stations (Lupine, Pinnacle)
5x Azov Stations
20x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
1,000 defense platforms
Probe network
Minefield
Elanth System Fleet: (TBD)
Advanced Customs Fleet (Escan operated)
Garrison: Eleventh, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Twenty Ninth Army Groups and Escan militia

Geography: Elanth is covered by a ecumenopolis called Elan that stretches from pole to pole, having been built over everything from mountains to entire oceans by the ancient Escan Empire. Once the Danaversians took over It was only maintained minimally by them and their Escan slaves, and as a result the infrastructure suffered widespread and serious damage from the invasion during Operation Liberator in the closing months of the Danaversian War. The urban sprawl is being slowly but steadily restored by the Kitsune Empire, though some sections of the city are undergoing complete renovations. To provide habitats for some of the large native population outside of hazardous areas, the government and corporations have constructed a number of civil and trade stations in orbit. Setulanite-made atmospheric scrubbers have been imported to relieve some of the smog and pollution from the air, but Elan remains hazy; in some districts it is unsafe to go outside without a gas mask.

A factory complex.
A top-down perspective into the city.
A section of destroyed city.

System governor: Governor Lysan
Exports: Vehicles, labor, information, manufactured goods
Overview: One of a handful of world cities under Xiscapian control, Elanth was once an Escan world before it was invaded and captured by the Danaversians several thousand years ago. During the Danaversian War the Kitsune Empire invaded Elanth and, after a long, bloody stalemate, was finally able to destroy the Danaversian armies through actions taken by the Xis-Set Joint Army. Today Elanth still bears the scars of war, not the least of which upon its population, which was a billion more numerous before the invasion. Nevertheless, the economy is slowly restarting and reconstruction efforts are proceeding smoothly, engendering hope for a brighter future. Elan hopes to use its massive labor base to revitalize itself and grow into a prosperous and powerful territory of the Kitsune Empire.

Yroaupz System:

Population: 500,000,000 (89% Sar, 10% kitsune, 1% Silarian)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 3
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 3
Cities: 3 (Ivory, Bovill, Jasen (capital))
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Mako)
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
1,000 defense platforms
Probe network
Minefield
Yroaupz System Fleet: (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: Thirtieth Army Group and Sar militia troops

Geography: The planet Yroaupz is 92% water, with 6% of its surface area taken up by a small continent and the other 2% consisting of island chains and atolls and ice at the poles. The minor continent, called Yro by the natives, is a windswept landmass frequently battered by typhoons, experiencing daily rainfall in the summer and fall months but remaining dry in the winter and spring. Vegetation is low grass and hardscrabble bushes and trees set into the hills, and the area is inhabited primarily by amphibious creatures, with only the interior containing some small mammals and reptiles. Islands range from barren desert rocks to lush jungles but are usually tropical. Projects are underway to artificially construct additional land masses for habitation.

Xiscapian underwater city
One of the beasts that lives beneath the waves.
The entrance to a Sar habitat.

System governor: Governor Miyo
Exports: Foodstuffs, water, atmospheric mixes, military goods
Overview: The first Danaversian fortress world taken during Operation Endgame, Yroaupz is home to a race of anthropomorphic Selachimorpha calling themselves the Sar, who suffered under Danaversian occupation for at least one thousand years. Though they lack developed technology beyond their world's oceans, the Sar possess highly sophisticated aquatic dwellings, vehicles, weapons and systems, which helped them maintain a robust resistance against the Danaversians. When the Kitsune Empire invaded the planet the Sar allied themselves with the Xiscapians and the two races together were able to crush the aliens, liberating Yroaupz. A deal was struck giving the Xiscapians control of the planet's surface and the wider system, with the Sar retaining control of their oceans and the seabed. Today a number of Sar have immigrated to other parts of the Kitsune Empire, but most prefer to remain on their home world. The majority of Xiscapians living in the system reside on one of the planet's three moons or on Yro, save for the city of Ivory, which was constructed for kitsune habitation on the ocean floor.

Tryxaatz System:

Population: 25,000 (100% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 0
Planets owned: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Fumos)
2x Azov Stations
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
100 defense platforms
Probe network
Minefield
Tryxaatz System Fleet: (TBD)
Garrison: 1015th Battalion, various independent contractors

Geography: Tryxaatz is nothing more than a loose asteroid field. While some of the asteroids are quite large and inhabited, none have independent ecosystems.

A tram station running through the middle of an asteroid.
An asteroid mining base.
A large shipyard.

System governor: Commander Kazuhiko
Exports: Research data, raw materials, research and development, survey contracts
Overview: During the Danaversian War Tryxaatz was a Danaversian fortress world that provided a significant portion of the Empire's manpower. It was invaded and its hatcheries were wiped out by Xiscapian troops and the Joint Army; the Kitsune Imperial Navy ended up destroying Tryxaatz and all three of its moons via orbital bombardment. Today the system consists of a large asteroid field which is home to several military bases as well as a small number of secluded research laboratories, factories and dockyards. Survey contracts are frequently given to independent operators to locate and tag unregistered or unexplored asteroids, which the system has millions of, in search of new sources of minerals or suitable rocks for colonization. Five thousand soldiers, scientists and traders live in the system's stations, while the territory's other fifteen thousand residents live aboard starships or inside asteroids. The KIN has a base for training Imperial Marines here.

Keteris System

Population: 2,000,000 (50% kitsune, 50% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 5
Moons in system: ~100
Moons owned: All
Cities: Sade-Rei
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Aphelion)
2x Azov Stations (Solitude, Aurora)
4x Soryu Stations (Secuda, Masser, Parallax, Den)
FTLi Field
Early Warning Probe Network
100 Defense Platforms
Mines
Corporate Defense Fleet
Garrison: Corporate troops, local militia, supplementary Xiscapian regulars

Geography: A small world, much of Keteris is rocky and mountainous, bearing deep valleys and ravines across its jagged, pockmarked surface. A few exceptions exist in flat plains areas sheltered by mountains or tiny forests wedged between outcroppings, which sometimes hold small settlements. Cold and wet, the planet goes through short, cool summers before plunging almost directly into long, dark winters that can bring enormous, strong storms.
Salvage craft sweeping the system for derelicts
The remains of an AIW-infected zoo
Explorers discovering a crashed Greali gunship
System Governor: Station Commander Sawakaze
Exports: Artifacts, metallic and gaseous elements and compounds, scrap metal, research, recovered technology
Overview: Founded in Y.O.O.R. 10, Keteris was a thriving Greali colony that exported valuable metals to the greater Intergalactic Empire until Y.O.O.R. 12, when forces of the Alliance of Imitated Worlds captured the planet, slaying or infecting all the colonists and military forces who were unable to flee. Later that year Intergalactic Imperial forces returned and destroyed the infection in a long and bloody campaign, utilizing anti-Imitator agents in the form of gases, liquids and toxins to purge corpses and dump into the hard-to-reach places. Though it was reoccupied, Keteris never achieved its old output as raids by Xiscapian privateers and Berrax rebels hampered trade, and the Intergalactic Empire eventually abandoned the planet as indefensible in Y.O.O.R. 18 with the outbreak of the Danaversian War. All but forgotten, Keteris was rediscovered in Y.O.O.R. 25 by a Final Frontier International scout, resulting in Detritus Mining Incorporated petitioning the Kitsune Empire and soon gaining approval to set up a corporate colony there with Kitsune Imperial oversight, becoming the first company to gain such a privilege. Though Greali Outcast pirates are known to roam the sector and there are always rumors of resurgent Imitators, Keteris is a goldmine of lost Greali and Imitator technology and scrap, which, combined with mining, keeps its economy going.

[Xiscapia]

Milky Way Galaxy Holdings:

Chalybs System (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 2,000,000,000 (75% kitsune, 20% Zillar, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Planets owned: 2
Moons in system: 250
Moons owned: 3
Cities: Newport (on Glacies), Estus
Defenses:
Starbase (Algidus)
1,000 defense platforms (800 B.L.A.S.T., 200 B.L.A.D.E.)
Probe Field
Minefield
Early-warning defense network
Chalybs System Fleet: (Fleet VII)
Garrison: Twenty-Third and Twenty-Fifth Army Groups

Geography: Glacies is a cold, thickly forested and hilled in most areas. Out on the flat, exposed tundra the temperatures reach subzero levels, any exposure to such for any more than a few minutes without proper protection will lead to hypothermia and possibly death. Estus is a hot, jungle world, filled with undergrowth and trees cut by rivers. It rains every day, out in the more cleared areas there is excellent farming land.
Snapshot of Newport
Glacies forest. A Sraith can be seen at center.
Surface of Estus. Note the watchtower emplacements.
Jungle foxes, widely suspected of being escaped xenological experiments from Xiscapian labs
System Governor: Governor Neso
Exports: Foodstuffs, lumber, robots, textiles and ornate weapons and tools.
Overview: Established Year of our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose Seventeen, the Chalybs System was the first colony to be made in the Milky Way Galaxy, and also one of the most heavily populated and defended. This colony is based on twin worlds, Glacies being a cold planet of tundra and dark forests, Estus meanwhile humid with steaming jungles and mountain ranges that rise above the canopies. The Xiscapians managed to gain the allegiance of the native Zillar population, and they co-existed peacefully until the Thirteenth Danaversian War, during which Zillar forces attacked the Glacies colony of Newport and the Kitsune Imperial forces garrisoned there. The unprovoked attack proved devastating, effectively paralyzing the armies there until the arrival of the Telrosians, who helped break the siege on the capital and wider system, soon gaining the support of more allies in the Milky Way. Once the Zillars were forced to capitulate the system was used as a base for privateers, commerce raiders and assault fleets penetrating Zillar territory, becoming the principle Coalition base there until the end of the war.

In Y.O.O.R. 25 the system was attacked again, this time by forces of the Solarian Empire of Cilistia Novaren.

Kawachi System (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 10,000,000 (89% kitsune, 10% human, 1% other)
Inhabitable Planets in System: 1
Inhabitable Planets Owned: 1
Moons in System: 1
Moons Owned: 1
Cities: Truscant, Aeterna
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Sadeness)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
1,000 Defense Platforms (600 B.L.A.S.T., 400 B.L.A.D.E.)
Kawachi Defense Fleet (Fleet XIII)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: 44th Army Group
Geography: Mostly cityscape, with some forests and plains.
City of Truscant, partially restored
Crashed starship near a "dead" zone of Truscant
Hanger Bay
System Governor: General Caedo
Exports: Melted down salvage, war materials, arms, plastics
Overview: Discovered Year of Our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose Twenty, during an excursion by the Kitsune Imperial Navy into the Beta Quadrant in order to secure a supply line to the Chalybs System, Kawachi was only recently settled but nevertheless has a rich history. Originally called 2752 Vespae, part of a vast empire spanning the Beta Quadrant, the system's original inhabitants were wiped by a plague that destroyed the rest of the nation, preserving the infrastructure until it was discovered by the Kitsune Empire centuries later. However, the Kitsune Empire was not the only state probing the area; a fleet from the Confederacy of Arch Planets entered the system several hours after the initial scout and began illegal salvaging operations, even after several warnings to cease and desist. This resulted in the Battle for Kawachi, in which the scout unit used its instruments to remotely hack into and take control of a nearby derelict fleet of cruisers, which is used to rout the invaders. This secured the system for Xiscapia, which later moved in defenses, colonists, infrastructure repair crews and began fortifying and industrializing the system. Today much of the cityscape has been reawakened and Kawachi is on the way to becoming a bustling trade hub as it was in the empire of old.

Masaaki System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 500,000 (99% kitsune, 1% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons in system: 100+
Moons owned: All
Cities:
Kotohito Naval Base
Shigekazu Shipyards
Hiroshi Mining Facility
Joji Asteroid Base
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Balance)
Masaaki Defense Fleet (Fleet XIV)
Stock Customs Fleet
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
Garrison:
50th Army Group
Geography:
Not originally a habitable planet, Masaaki was terraformed by its original owners hundreds of years ago. Today it is a cold desert planet whose rocks take on an orange-tan hue. Like the system itself, Masaaki is a vast wasteland of lonely spires and deserted plains where nothing lives or grows, but it is rich in resources. There are no cities on the planet, only military bases and mining facilities which have their own towns and conveniences attached, mostly clustered around the poles. The system itself contains no other large bodies except a jovian planet, which has moons full of ore orbiting it, and a solar asteroid field, both of which are heavily mined.

An asteroid base on the rim of the system
A facility built into a crater on the surface.
Icecap Outpost

System Governor: Rear Admiral Masaaki
Exports: Raw and refined ore, starships and starship components, drones.
Overview:
Originally the Meili System on old empire star charts, the Masaaki System was located soon after the annexation of the Kawachi System. Kitsune Imperial forces were dispatched to capture the system for its strategic position and mineral wealth, and met Confederate forces who had already arrived, sparking the second battle of the 72-Hour War, the Battle of Masaaki. The conflict ended in a decisive victory for the fleet, which took the Masaaki System. Construction of facilities on the planet and in space began with the arrival of utility ships, and were completed at various points no greater than six months following.

The planet and system as a whole have a martial, utilitarian feel to them. The only ships generally present are ore haulers, merchants and the warships of the defense fleet, and the only people usually present are trade crews, miners, soldiers and spacers. Due to this more ships leave the system than enter, usually carrying refined ore to other parts of the Kitsune Empire, though a majority percentage of the material goes straight to Masaaki's shipyards, where both military and civilian craft are constructed. Massaki is considered the main military base for Kitsune Imperial forces in the Beta Quadrant, and provides security for other major systems including convoy escort and anti-piracy duties. It is rarely visited by foreigners.

Kana System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 300,000 (50% kitsune, 50% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Planets owned: 0
Moons in system: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
Kana Wormhole Starbase (Thundersinger)
Kana Defense Fleet (Fleet XVI)
Stock Customs Fleet
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields

Commander: Rear Admiral Ryan Parkinson
Location: Kana Wormhole
Flagship: APS Invigilator
1 x Invincible-Class Battlecruiser (APS Invigilator)
2 x Victory-Class Heavy Cruisers (APS Gauntlet, APS Stryker)
3 x Archilles-Class Cruisers (APS Riijon, APS Salvador, APS Rhapsody)
4 x Leeds-Class Light Cruisers (APS Cougar, APS Luque, APS Moreno, APS Francisco)
3 x Ramirez-Class Destroyers (APS Soho, APS Haruna, APS Micah)
20 x Scimitar-Class Corvettes

Fleet total:
1x capital
9x cruisers
23x escorts

33x ships total

Garrison:
50,000 Imperial Marines (Thundersinger garrison)
Geography:
N/A
A vessel emerging from the Milky Way side of the Kana Wormhole
A rendered model of the Kana Wormhole Stabilizer
A comet and space dust commonly found in the system

System Governor: Commander Gen
Exports: N/A
Overview:
The third battle site of the 72-Hour War, the Kana System marked the last battle to be fought of that conflict. A task force of two Star Destroyers, commanded by the battle A.I. Kana, made the incursion into the system and engaged the Confederate fleet there. Her units were later reinforced by elements from the Xiscapian force at Masaaki, but the battle was lost when the Confederate Supercarrier Hell's Fury appeared and attacked. Enacting a "scorched earth" policy as they retreated, the Xiscapian forces destroyed the system's only planet, unknowingly activating a piece of old alien technology that sent a violent wave of heat and energy throughout the system. Most of the forces on both sides were able to escape the holocaust, but every body except for the system's star was obliterated. Returning to the system, the Xiscapians found a wormhole had been created in place of the planet; claiming the system, they built a stabilizer gate around it so it could be used for transit between the Beta Quadrant and the Home Galaxy. Commonly known as the "Kana Wormhole" it connects the Kana System to the Dolosus System in the Home Galaxy.

Fudo System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 1,500,000,000 (60% kitsune, 30% Archian, 5% human other, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons in system: 600+
Moons owned: 300+
Cities: Tiri
Defenses:
Fudo Defense Fleet (Fleet XV)
Garrison:
1x Azov class Station (Icestorm)
Stock Customs Fleet
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
33rd Army Group
Geography:
Fudo is a world of valleys and fields, lush with planet and animals life and thus unique among old empire worlds. Possessing substantial liquid water, a temperate climate in most areas and few large predators, Fudo is a comfortable, safe world despite its presence on the very fringe of Kitsune Imperial space. The winters are short and cold, the summers long and hot and those seasons in between mellow and fading. Industrialization and urbanization is heavy in some areas but nonexistent in others. Inhabited zones stretch from orbit itself to the depths of the seas and deep beneath the planet's crust.

The city of Tiri at dawn
A "naturally grown" wheat field
Two Confederate ships on patrol over the planet

System Governor: Governor Kenshin
Exports: Foodstuffs, recreational and pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals.
Overview:
Nearly the site of the fourth battle of the 72-Hour War, the Fudo System, originally Taristh, was captured by a Kitsune Imperial fleet before a Confederate incursion infringed upon its local space. The Confederates pursued negotiations which resulted in the Tiri Treaty, providing very generous terms to the Kitsune Empire while handing over half of the Taristh System to the Confederates in the interest of peace and prosperity. As a result the system is co-defended by Xiscapian and Archian warships and troops and kitsune and Archian populations co-exist as their traders meet and prosper. The Confederates hold the other world in the system but also have citizens and military units on Fudo. Generally speaking the Xiscapian segment of the population remains below ground as typical while the Confederates have dominion over the surface. Fudo is known to be a breadbasket for the systems of both nations.

Protectorate:

Phenia System and Beta Anubis Systems: (Delta Quadrant)

See here

Hilda Rein System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000,000 (80% Olacian, 18% kitsune, 2% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 2
Cities: Draqum (capital), Yori, Claz
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Sacrifice)
2x Azov Stations
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
2,000 Defense Platforms
Hilda Rein Defense Fleet
The Olacia
Garrison: 31st Army Group, native militias

Hills and plains of Hilda Rein
Nomadic elves and humans travelling
A group of Sand Elf warriors

Geography: A cool, temperate world of rolling hills and flat plains, Hilda Rein is one of the more pleasant Xiscapian Milky Way planets. The Olacian elves kept it in pristine condition, which is only slightly marred by Xiscapian operations there. Well-rounded with resources, Hilda Rein is self-sufficient and would have made a respectable independent territory in its own right were it not for a lack of a self-defense force. The planet's two moons are both inhabited, one with extensive mining operations, the other operated as a military base. As the Olacian population grows more cities are being constructed.

System governor: Governor Roznol
Exports: Industrial alloys, specialized crystals, information, medical supplies and technology
Overview: Once a part of the Olacian Empire, Hilda Rein was the only piece of territory to survive the relentless xenocide perpetrated against the Olacians by a dark alliance of unholy forces, by virtue of being protected by the Xiscapian military at the time. Given this, it is the only known world where Olacian elves exist in any significant numbers, though they are now technically Xiscapian elves, since the Kitsune Empire annexed the planet. Though the system as a whole is under Xiscapian rule, local government and administration is left to the elves, as is native defense. This includes the Olacian Colony Ship Olacia, a two hundred kilometer vessel sitting in permanent orbit over the planet as a ad hoc trade and defense station. The people of Hilda Rein are sensible and level-headed, and they pride themselves on their stability.

Novus Limes System: (Minor holding, Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 10,000 (99% kitsune, 1% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Landing (capital)
Defenses:
Novus Limes Starfleet
Novus Limes Co-Defense Force (Xiscapian warships operating under Starfleet Command)
Corporate Fleets
Soryu Station (Obituary)
Garrison: Novus Limes Marines, Xiscapian stations garrison, corporate mercenaries

An Xiscapian ore hauler docked on Novus Limes
An Xiscapian asteroid mining base
One of the Xiscapian mercenaries hired to protect Imperial operations in the system.

Geography: The Xiscapian section of Novus Limes space tends to consist of asteroids and stations. What few facilities exist on the planet itself are small but sophisticated and well-guarded. As the official and corporate presence is focused around mining, most of the Xiscapians in the system reside near the operations aboard ships or within the asteroids. Out of respect for the wishes of the Novus Limes government, environmental impact has been kept to a minimum but Xiscapian mining is still significantly dirtier than native operations. A handful of kitsune live and work on Novus Limes itself but most stay at their bases or in the system's asteroid belt.
System governor: Novus Limes Governor
Exports: Metallic elements, mineral elements, metallic compounds, mineral compounds
Overview: As with many star systems, Novus Limes was first entered under a foray to destroy a pirate operation by a Kitsune Imperial Navy flotilla. There it encountered a trio of Starfleet vessels, which elements of the flotilla boarded and inspected, only to be attacked by a fleet of warships operated by a race known as the Borg. Fighting alongside the Starfleet craft, the Xiscapians were able to destroy the Borg at the cost of two of their own ships and over a hundred dead and wounded. The Flotilla Captain leveraged this against the Governor of Novus Limes to shamelessly campaign for mining rights to the system. These were granted, resulting in the current Xiscapian presence in Novus Limes.

Tortuga: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 8,000,000 (60% human, 35% other, 5% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: Tortuga (capital), Suriname, Tobago
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Black Shroud)
8x Azov Stations
20x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
500 Defense Platforms
Tortuga Defense Fleet
Tortuga Militia Force
Garrison: 38th Army Group and native levies

The city of Tortuga
A Tortugan lake; several Xiscapian-occupied fortresses can be seen in the background
Tortuga during one of its frequent storms

Geography: Wet and warm, Tortuga is known for nearly year-round precipitation, violent seas and a desolate landscape. A large planet constantly ravaged by global storms, Tortuga is mostly rock and water, with tropical jungle being the main ecology where flora is present. Though the planet has some mineral ore it is other resources found in its jungles that make it worthwhile, including plants suited for fiber-based materials, medicine and narcotics, plant and meat-based foodstuffs and spices. Though the technology exists to control the climate and terraform Tortuga into something more pleasant neither the natives nor the settlers have expressed a desire to do so, citing costs and the common opinion that they like their wet, dreary world. The Kitsune Empire respects this decision.
System governor: Governor Kyo
Exports: Rare spices, meat and plant-based foodstuffs, plant-based fibers and materials, narcotics and basic medicines
Overview: Originally a large pirate base, Tortuga was invaded by the Kitsune Empire in an effort to exterminate its brigands and bring order and stability to the area. Though the Xiscapians succeeded in annihilating the raiders, they were left with several million people inhabiting the planet who once relied on the pirates to drive the local economy. Instead of destroying them, as would normally be done, the Xiscapians annexed them and their world into the Kitsune Empire. Though grateful for the technological advancements and economic boons provided by Imperial rule, the Tortugans remain an independently minded, ruthlessly capitalist people. In particular, the native Tortugan Militia makes up for its older equipment with a fearsome fighting spirit rarely matched by indigenous levies.

Alopex System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 10,000,000 (90% kitsune, 10% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 500+
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 500+
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
1x Soryu Station (Au)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
300 Defense Platforms
Alopex Defense Fleet
Garrison: 93rd Division and corporate militias

Geography: Lacking in terrestrial geography, the Alopex System is centered around Alopex, an alabaster-hued jovian with a significant number of mineral-rich moons and asteroids orbiting it. This area is mined extensively for its valuable gas and ore, both by the Xiscapian government and by various corporate ventures. As such the main installations are the stations anchoring orbital elevators that extend down to the planet's core, as well as the gas harvesting facilities in the atmosphere, which form the base for the small population of troops, naval personnel, contractors and a small core of civilians catering to their needs. The out system is largely barren, containing only a few uninhabitable mineral-deficient worlds and a small asteroid field. Most of the population lives on mining installations or starships.

A corporate habitat station.
The beginnings of a base under construction.
A mining outpost.

System governor: Commander Senichi
Exports: Raw and refined ore, metals, mining contracts, gaseous elements and compounds
Overview: First entered by its namesake, the destroyer Alopex, the system was claimed by the Kitsune Empire a short time before a foreign vessel was located claiming it had already taken the system for its nation. Alopex fired first and a battle commenced, leaving both craft damaged but ultimately forcing the alien ship out of the area when Xiscapian reinforcements arrived. A follow-up attack on the interloper's base failed to destroy it but kept its forces tied up in defending the station long enough for the Kitsune Empire to establish a defensible presence in Alopex. Because of its location and strategic resources, the system has to be guarded against both this entity and a loose confederation of pirates that was allowed to grow alongside. Due to this Alopex is frequently used as a base to train new crews in pirate hunting.

Inritus System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 2,000,000,000 (80% Zillar, 15% kitsune, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: 3 (Mallak, Lydak (capital), Sall)
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Arak)
1x Soryu Station (Reach)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
800 Defense Platforms
Inritus Defense Fleet
Zillar Defense Force
Garrison: 38th, 39th, 41st Army Groups and Zillar militia

Geography: A cold, rocky world, Inritus initially appears barren and inhospitable, particularly to its cold-blooded natives. However, most Zillar construction is underground, focused around geothermal vents and natural hot springs, allowing those who settle it to live quite comfortably beneath the hostile mountains. With regard to resources the planet has large reserves of precious metals, gems, ore and crystals, with mining operations tapping thousands of veins from subsurface facilities. The spire-like mountains of Inritus inspired the shape of the unique Inrtitus Ships, spike-shaped vessels made of asteroid rock that serve as everything from transports to miners to warships. In the out system a large network of stations, mining installations, colonies and shipyards has been constructed exclusively to utilize Inritus's natural resources within the system.

A military base in the tundra.
Downtown in an Xiscapian city.
An independent factory complex.

System governor: President Zillar/Admiral Nori
Exports: Ore, precious metals and gems, processed materials, starship construction
Overview: Inritus was the last system to be captured during the Danaversian War, taken just days before the formal Danaversian surrender. A Zillar world where AXIS forces were widely hailed as liberators, Inritus rose above and beyond its fellows in the postwar period by virtue of Xiscapian influence, especially on the economy and military. Due to its location, Inritus handles a great deal of commerce from Xiscapian holdings and trading partners in Alpha, though it is not as central nor as powerful as the Wuin System, for example. The native Zillars are permitted to maintain their own government with their own elected leaders and their own defense force, though both are ultimately subservient to the Kitsune Empire. In case of attack the Inritus System stands poised to render assistance either to the Chalybs System or New Rastha.

Cruor System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 100,000,000 (60% Abhuman, 20% kitsune, 10% Telrosian, 10% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 0
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Tartarus (capital), Hardy, Kippie)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Fernir)
2x Azov Stations
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
1,000 Defense Platforms
Cruor Defense Fleet
Cruor Customs Force (native operated)
Assorted Telrosian warships
Garrison: 42ed Army Group, assorted Telrosian troops, native militias

Geography: Originally a garden world, Cruor was glassed by a Telrosian fleet and sat as burning slag for the greater part of a standard year. Xiscapian terraforming operations began in conjunction with Telrosian efforts, restoring the planet's atmosphere, reviving the soil, replanting flora, reintroducing fauna and other work, which has currently progressed over roughly half the planet. While most of the northern hemisphere has been successfully made inhabitable again, the majority of the southern hemisphere remains a poisoned wasteland. In what sections of the land that are livable, Cruor bears a remarkable resemblance to certain Xiscapian and Telrosian worlds, including mixed ecological systems, terrain and climate from a variety of planets. Despite less than fifty percent of Cruor's surface being fit for sapient life, its inhabitants are self-sufficient.

A newly built city on the planet's surface.
A sky tram facility in the atmosphere.
Haulers landing in a partially destroyed Arvayan-era city.

System governor: Rear Admiral Shinya
Exports: High-energy plasma, military goods, vehicles and fabrication equipment
Overview: Once home to the human-supremacist nation known as the Arvayan Federation, Cruor was assaulted and its non-human (Abhuman) races were evacuated by Telrosian forces before being bombarded from orbit until the Federation and every Arvayan had ceased to exist. An Xiscapian flotilla came upon the site of the conflict a short time later and began a cooperative effort with the Telrosians to rebuild the planet as a home for the displaced Abhumans, providing both temporary shelter for the long-suffering people and terraforming engineers and equipment to the effort. The first Abhumans resettled the planet five years after the destruction of the Arvayans, setting up with government, infrastructure and defense forces provided or backed by the Telrosians and Xiscapians. Despite joint ownership of the system, Cruor is too far from Telros proper for the Telrosians to effectively defend, so the bulk of the system's defense (and influence over its inhabitants) falls to the Xiscapians. Though the Abhuman state is not truly independent and its policies, economy and military are small sized and moderately successful at best, it is a stable system that shows signs of slow growth.

Protectorate

New Rastha System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 10,000,000 (60% Rasthan, 10% kitsune, 30% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 300+
Planets owned: 0
Moons owned: 4
Cities: Hivan (capital), various corporate townships and ghettos
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Bulwark)
1x Azov Station (Lupus)
1x Soryu Station (Occulus)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
500 Defense Platforms
Rasthan Defense Fleet
Rasthan Border Guard
Xiscapian training craft
Corporate Fleets
Garrison: Rasthan Security Forces, Xiscapian Imperial Army advisers, corporate mercenaries

Geography: A small moon orbiting a gray jovian planet, New Rastha has a breathable atmosphere but a barren, rocky surface. Apart from a handful of cold lakes and aquifers, the satellite has no liquid water, though ice does accumulate at the caps. Terrain alternates between plains and hills, with elevations remaining low enough to give the world only a handful of true mountains. Craters dot the landscape, providing shelter for organizations as small as a few people to entire cities. In its crust New Rastha has modest mineral reserves but possesses little else of value aside from land and water.

A corporate city on the moon's surface.
One of the cleaner sections of the capital.
An asteroid station.


System governor: Patriarch Arctos
Exports: Mineral elements and compounds, services, labor, information
Overview: Discovered by a Bloodletter destroyer during the closing days of AXIS operations against the crumbling Zillar Republic, New Rastha was a then unnamed, unclaimed satellite inhabited only by a small tribe of friendly lupines. The Xiscapian warship used the moon as a base for raids against nearby Zillar convoys and installations until the formal end of the conflict, at which point it was discovered that the people living there were actually escaped Malcastrineze refugees placed there by an anti-Malcastrineze privateer group known as Raven's Blood. At this time the Kitsune Empire had several hundred thousand displaced Rasthan living within its borders, rescued from the Rethast threat, who were campaigning for a home of their own. On their behalf the Xiscapians negotiated with Raven's Blood for control of the moon, which the surviving Rasthans dubbed New Rastha. Initially the government, trade and military was propped up by the Kitsune Empire, but with the economic surge provided by peacetime trade the tiny independent nation has managed to get up on its own two feet. Time will tell what the future holds for what may be the last of a race.

Republica System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 100,000,000 (70% human, 30% other/kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 0
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Coruscant (capital)
Defenses:
2x Tipperary Stations (Vigil, Omni)
20x Azov Stations
40x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
2,000 Defense Platforms
Republica Defense Fleet (TBD)
Garrison: 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th Army Groups and levies

Geography: A near-ecumenopolis, Coruscant covers most of Republica's surface, with only some natural landmasses left near the poles and a few seas of natural water. However, much of the city is made up of the vast network of automated infrastructure required to keep the utilities working and the population alive, concentrating most of the city's inhabitants into dense masses at the highest levels. Interestingly, Coruscant's soil (what little of it is left) and air is surprisingly clean for a ecumenopolis, making it a suitable place to live for most sapient beings. Given that much of the population is human, there is little desire to move into the air, ocean or into the crust when new buildings can simply be erected atop old structures, which is how much of the city (now hundreds of meters to kilometers above the natural surface) was made over several centuries. Despite its grandeur, Coruscant is heavily reliant on imports to survive; without them its people will be unable to survive once their reserve stores run out.

Part of Coruscant's massive surface city.
Dawn on Coruscant.
A militia warship on orbital patrol.

System governor: Governor Ryozo
Exports: Labor, information, manufactured goods, services
Overview: The first world targeted during Operation Zodiak, the Republica system was quickly and ruthlessly secured by an Xiscapian fleet with assistance from Necrian forces. Moving to the ground, the Kitsune Imperial Army and Navy launched a series of decapitating and symbolic strikes, destroying the enemy's government and military infrastructure while also destroying or capturing national monuments and establishing points of control. Within twenty four hours the defending army had been routed repeatedly and scattered and the population's morale was crushed. However, Coruscant is a resilient beast and business soon proceeded as usual for its people, now under the Xiscapian flag. Of all the conquered peoples in Zodiak, those of Republica made the overall average in attitude and disposition towards the conquerors.

Ghadold System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000 (90% other, 10% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 2
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
10x Tipperary Stations
50x Azov Stations
100x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
5,000 Defense Platforms
Ghadold Defense Fleet (TBD)
Garrison: 49th Army Group, various other units in training

Geography: A garden world, Ghadold has almost every type of climate and terrain imaginable, from tropical rainforests to cool mountains to arid deserts to frozen tundra. Despite its abundance of fertile land, the planet is wild, with a wide selection of flora and fauna. Though this gives it a great deal of potential, it makes the world only of interest to scientists and terraformers, as settlers, colonists, tourists and vacationers have a large selection of alternatives to choose from. Additionally, Ghadold's star is projected to begin losing fuel and expanding soon (within the next one millions years). These factors combine to make Ghadold what it is today: A military system.

Fortresses on Ghadold's surface.
A combat simulation held in the dawn on the planet.
A snowy mountain base.

System governor: General Jun'ichi
Exports: Small arms, powered armor, munitions, armored vehicles
Overview: The site of one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of the Zodiak War, Ghadold was home to a large Republic garrison backed up by a patriotic and highly loyal population. The attacking Xiscapians managed to destroy much of the defending fleet, which refused to retreat until individual members took the initiative to flee, but the ground army proved to be made of even sterner stuff. On top of this, the planet's population joined in the fighting, suffering high casualties but refusing to back down even after the Republic army was entirely wiped out. Not wishing to suffer even more casualties, the Xiscapians instead razed the planet's cities to the ground, killing an estimated five hundred million people and scattering the few survivors into the wilds of Ghadold. After this the Kitsune Empire constructed a large fleet and army base to support the surrounding systems, with Ghadold acting as a training world for both Xiscapian troops and militia forces and conscripted levies from other worlds. As such, the planet has no civilian population.

Talibel System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000 (75% human, 5% kitsune, 20% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 4
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 4
Cities: 4 (Gammond, Sayk, Mauel, Cammond (capital))
Defenses:
1x Soryu Station (Axle)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
1,000 Defense Platforms (600 B.L.A.S.T., 400 B.L.A.D.E.)
Talibel Defense Fleet (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet (human operated)
Garrison: 815th Corps and native militia

Geography: Talibel is a jovian world, making it incapable of supporting terrestrial-based life. However, the planet's population has constructed four floating cities, along with a number of smaller docking, defense, gas mining and support platforms. Talibel's atmosphere is given an azure tint by certain valuable gases around which its economy is based. Electrical disturbances and wind storms are common and can pose a threat to small atmospheric craft and starships, but with proper piloting skill and sufficient local guidance these can be navigated safely or avoided. As Talibel's atmosphere naturally inhibits sensors, all craft must be guided in manually by traffic control.

A speeder in Talibel's atmosphere.
A rim facility in the lower atmosphere.
A floating city on one of Talibel's moons.

System governor: Governor Emiko
Exports: Gaseous elements, gaseous compounds, exotic matter, fusion fuels
Overview: Another planet invaded as part of Operation Zodiak, Talibel was the site of a large space battle fought between the Kitsune Imperial Navy and Republic forces. Once the enemy fleet was routed Xiscapian troops were able to swiftly capture the platforms in the planet's atmosphere using intercepted landing data, taking control of all of the cities. Initially Talibel's citizenry found Xiscapian law and garrisons abrasive, but after elements of instability were purged and the economy grew strong again most complaints faded away. Talibel is one of the quietest Xiscapian systems in the Milky Way, receiving little in way of visitors and exporting relatively small amounts of gas and fuels. Like other formerly Republic industries, it mostly services local systems, in Alpha if not in the immediate area, rather than the wider Kitsune Empire.

Arel System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 100,000,000 (50% human, 48% other, 2% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 0
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 0
Cities: Numerous (capital: Ariel)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Janissary)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
600 Defense Platforms (350 B.L.A.S.T., 250 B.L.A.D.E.)
Arel Defense Fleet (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: 32ed, 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th Army Groups and native levies

Geography: Arel is an arid, rocky world that alternates between scorching deserts and dry mountain ranges. Its size is barely above dwarf planet status, which gives it drastically warped time frames; each day lasts a full standard year, and each year lasts one century. "Days" are dangerously hot while "night" temperatures can drop below zero. Given this, along with the planet's hostile environment and deadly fauna, makes it unattractive to live on, but it nevertheless supports a large population focused around extensive mining operations beneath Arel's surface and the large starship manufacturing and assembly yards in orbit. Due to gravitational anomalies, the planet suffers frequent meteor showers.

A Xiscapian fortress on the surface.
A factory beneath the surface.
A religious tribal framed against the backdrop of a city.

System governor: Governor Botan
Exports: Metallic elements, mineral elements, starship parts and components, hulls
Overview: One of the most strongly defended systems of the former Republic, Arel was a critical resource and starship building world for the nation before the Kitsune Empire captured it after several days of heavy ground combat. Republic control was lax before, as the state only cared that its warship production went uninterrupted, but given the violent civil wars fought between Arel's natives the Xiscapians have a strong garrison force that rigorously enforces Xiscapian law. Unrest continues to smolder on the fringe and in some outlying towns over tribal tensions and religious differences but the main population centers are fully secured by the Imperial Army; a Karaigan arms factory is also in orbit guarded by a corporate fleet. As harsh as the land is on Arel, Xiscapian rule is harsher, as a strong hand is seen to be necessary to keep the locals in line. In terms of civilization, many consider Arel to be a third-world country contained within a first-world nation.

New Alderaan System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 1,970,000,000 (95% human, 5% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: Numerous (capital: Aldera)
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Graveyard)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
1,000 Defense Platforms (600 B.L.A.S.T., 400 B.L.A.D.E.)
New Alderaan Defense Fleet (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: 40th Army Group and native levies

Geography: Wild grasslands and old mountain ranges dominate the planet's surface, giving it striking natural beauty. Ice-rimmed polar seas are the only large bodies of water, though thousands of freshwater and saltwater lakes provided habitats for a large variety of flora and fauna. Cities of New Alderaan are often built with great care taken to protect nature, though modern Xiscapian mining operations ignore this. Cities are built in a variety of exotic locations, such as on stilts along the shoreline, inside the walls of canyons or under polar ice. The capital, New Aldera, was built on a small island in the center of a caldera.

Several outlying homes on the plains.
The open interior of a resort.
An Alderaanian city.

System governor: Governor Kioshi
Exports: Creative art, luxury items and intoxicants, interactive entertainment, various services
Overview: Given its experiences with other Republic planets the Xiscapian Imperial Army landed on New Alderaan expecting a hard fight, and was surprised when the planet's government unilaterally surrendered to protect its population and natural beauty. Indeed, the subsequent occupation proved to be an easy one, as the native Alderaanians possessed almost no weapons independent of the Republic military and are largely pacifists. Xiscapian influence turned the planet into a resort world, which is especially famous as a playground for the rich and powerful, with many Xiscapian company heads and industrial leaders owning large swaths of land there. New Alderaan is also something of a final destination for those who enjoy recreational drugs, as the population is highly liberal and tends to be hospitable towards visitors, unlike other Republic worlds. However, given competition from other equally lovely Xiscapian worlds with tourism industries, New Alderaan draws more local and foreign visitors than actual Xiscapian.

Enrust System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 200,000 (20% human, 20% kitsune, 60% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 0
Planets owned: 0
Moons owned: 0
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Galaxy)
2x Azov Stations
4x Soryu Stations
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
100 Defense Platforms (60 B.L.A.S.T., 40 B.L.A.D.E.)
Enrust Defense Fleet (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: 404th Division and various militia and levy forces

Geography: Since it consists entirely of asteroids of various sizes, Enrust has no geography or climate to speak of. However, vibrant artificial ecology's have been made within several of the rocks, which vary in size and type but are capable of supporting life. The largest asteroid, Enrust, supports a population of some fifty thousand sentient beings and droids, while many of the smaller colonies and bases may be home to a dozen people or less. Because the system is a waypoint between the Talibel System and New Alderran, its population fluctuates as travelers and seasonal visitors pass through, though the actual residents on most colonies maintain relatively stable numbers. The Galaxy station acts as a capital of sorts and is the system's primary military base.

An Xiscapian listening post.
An asteroid resupply station.
A native asteroid colony.

System governor: Vice Admiral Kohana
Exports: Narcotics, entertainment items, raw materials, various services
Overview: When the Enrust System was conquered by Xiscapian forces as part of Operation Zodiak they found it to be unlike any other Republic system. Its people were highly disparate, forming colonies on the various asteroids virtually independent of each other, obeying no laws but their own. Due to the system's strategic position on the hyperspace lanes the Republic had desired to exert maximum control over it, causing its people to chaff under heavy-handed rule and eliciting a large uptick in crime, particularly smuggling. With the Xiscapians establishing themselves in the system many of the goods and services formerly illegal were made legal, and the Kitsune Empire was content largely to leave the thirteen main asteroids to their own devices, only interested in securing the system's mineral wealth. In Enrust, life continues largely as it had before.

Tigarius System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 8,000,000,000 (99% human, 1% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: Too numerous to mention (capital: Tigerius)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Bronze Tiger)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
100 Defense Platforms (60 B.L.A.S.T., 40 B.L.A.D.E.)
Tigerius Defense Fleet (TBD)
Stock Customs Fleet
Garrison: 42ed, 43rd, 49th Army Corps and Tigerian levies

Geography: Tigerius is a temperate world with a surface that is 60% water, the other 40% of land broken up into three continents. While much of the countryside is ideal for human habitation, the sprawling, crowded cities that stretch entire continents often offer poor living conditions and tend to be highly polluted. The Kitsune Empire has several projects aimed at alleviating this, which include further construction in the planet's oceans, bedrock and orbit to solve overpopulation, atmospheric scrubbers to reduce the levels of toxins in the atmosphere and government-backed corporate incentives for using clean energy. Additionally, terraforming and habit construction is being undertaken on the system's other four planets and in the asteroid belt. Projected results are promising but slow in coming.

A Tigerian militia trooper in one of the planet's cities.
An old Tigerian jet in its hanger.
The Tigeran countryside.

System governor: President Talon
Exports: Labor, manufactured goods, raw materials, consumables
Overview: Assaulted during Operation Zodiak, Tigerius was taken and occupied briefly by Xiscapian forces before a deal was struck with what was left of the government for the native people to retain control in return for becoming an Xiscapian protectorate. The new Xiscapian-sponsored government and military bear none of the corruptions or inefficiencies of the old, though they are more inwardly focused on providing for and protecting the people than the previously aggressively expansionist regime. The common man regards Xiscapians and their influence warily but welcomes the perks brought in technology, goods, services and information provided by the Kitsune Empire. Indeed, as on so many other worlds the Xiscapians are winning the cultural war, particularly among the youth. Despite this, the planet and its people still have a number of problems which are in the process of being addressed by local officials and officers.

Protectorate

Polaris System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 3,000,000,000 (98% human, 2% kitsune)
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 1
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 1
Cities: 3 (Dhruva Tara (capital), Polari, New Tigerius)
Defenses:
1x Tipperary Station (Absolute Zero)
FTLi field
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
100 Defense Platforms (60 B.L.A.S.T., 40 B.L.A.D.E.)
Polaris Defense Fleet (TBD)
Polaris Security Fleet (TBD)
Garrison: 51st Army Group and Polarian militia

Geography: Polaris consists largely of frigid tundra, only broken by a few inland seas which are frozen most of the year and mountain ranges. Most biological beings caught on the frozen wastes without sufficient protection will die within minutes of exposure. Due to this the planets lacks flora, and the only fauna survives underground. Polaris's lone moon, Lodestar, has a barren airless surface. Xiscapian scientists believe Polaris will emerge from its global ice age sometime within the next twenty thousand years.

A snowy plain beneath a mountain range.
A Polarian nightclub
The capital city on a relatively clear day.

System governor: Chancellor Stone
Exports: Luxury items, raw materials, processed materials, manufactured goods
Overview: One of the targets struck during Operation Zodiak, Polaris was under Tigerian occupation when the Xiscapians shattered the Tigerian fleet and landed troops in support of the native Polarian rebels. After the surviving Tigerians surrendered the Kitsune Empire assisted the Polarian people in constructing a new government, which is a nominal protectorate under Xiscapia. Though the planet's human population has a relatively low technological level and is constrained by both the conditions of their world and several years of Tigerian oppression, they are widely accepting of aliens and fast learners, which is resulting in speedy modernization. The planet's military has been rebuilt by the Xiscapians and is swiftly transforming into a respectable security force. Xiscapian investment in Polarian economy and infrastructure has been significant, and the world is considered a rising economic power within the Kitsune Empire, earning it the nickname "Little Phenia."

The Solar System: (galactic origin point on the grid, located at 0,0)

Population: ~1,500,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Moons in system: ~166
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 10
Cities: Foxtropolis, Araki Machi, Winterfire
Defenses: 1x Soryu Station (Watchtower), 1x Tipperary Station (Chinami), FTLi field, Early Warning Probe Network, 2,000 defense platforms
Garrison: 556th Division on Earth, with the 52ed Army Group on Mars and other smaller units scattered throughout
Geography: The country of Foxlandish on Earth is a tropical paradise, largely flat with open plains though it also consists of forests with a mountain range on the northern tip of the main island. In its entirety it consists of eleven small islands ringing a single larger land mass. Mars is a cold, mountainous reddish-orange wasteland, though Xiscapian terraforming has made its atmosphere breathable. None of the system's moons have atmospheres, and all are rocky and lifeless.

A hidden waterfall on the main Foxtian island.
The city on one of the outlying Foxtian islands.
The side of a corporate building in Foxtropolis.

System governor: High Queen Shiziku/Princess Fira/Colonel General Toru
Exports: Ore, foodstuffs, gas
Overview: The Solar System, as it is known to its inhabitants, is one of perhaps an infinite number of fractual star systems residing in the same location in space but a mind-boggling number of different realities. This incarnation's natives are still primitive creatures who have barely achieved spaceflight, among them being the Foxtian's, a race of kitsune-like people who were liberated by the Kitsune Empire from human aggressors. Like the Neo Kirisubans, the Foxtian live in a female-majority, and thus female-dominated society -they are also extreme pacifists and have no military of any kind. Their country, Foxlandish, is a Xiscapian protectorate, though the Kitsune Empire has also gone to lengths to colonize and build bases and mining installations on other bodies in the system, including Mars, the Moon, Phobos, Deimos, Asteroid Ida, Europa, Callisto, Titan, Ariel, Triton and Charon. Most Xiscapian operations in the system involve the extraction and processing of ores, metals and gases from various planets, moons and asteroids, and the shipping of tourists via commercial liners to and from Foxlandish.

[Xiscapia]

Milky Way Galaxy Holdings: (Cont.)


Kiruria System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 8,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 4
Moons in system: 12
Planets owned: 4 (Kiruria, Sororia, Desumia, Tenvahr)
Moons owned: 12 (Meto Kiruria, Santuria, Curridabatia, Sisuqepia, Jijugú, Neista, Deil, Resumia, Sasumia, Maanaan, Dagumesseh irk Kaahrurah, Dataiin)
Cities: Royal City of the Kiruri (residence of the Emperor), Vardune (capital), Vistrion Spaceport, Duneèspa, Anchorage, Tenvahr Citadel
Defenses: 10,000 orbital defense platforms, 2 Kirurian orbital fortresses, the Kirurian Navy Home Fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: Kiruria is a frigid world that consists almost entirely of tundra and mountains, which is the capital of the former Kiruri Empire and still the seat of power of the Emperor. The planet Sororia is more temperate and thus is a more attractive world to visit and settle on, raking in billions of credits annually from tourists. Desumia is a densely populated, heavily industrialized and highly polluted world that sees the most commercial activity in the system. Tenvahr is covered in ruins from the ancient Kirurian religious sect and is frozen solid all year round, much like Kiruria. Though exact temperatures vary and Soroia does have warm summers, all planets are nominally cold enough to freeze exposed liquid water.
System governor: Emperor Vulpe
Exports: Manufactured goods, medicinal products, ore, raw materials, electronics components, processed foodstuffs, luxury items, weaponry
Overview: The capital of the Kiruri, Kiruria is the most populated system of the old Kiruri Empire and also their home world. Its four inhabited and industralized planets make it one of the busiest contained systems in the Kitsune Empire, with large volumes of travel and trade going between the world. Unlike most Xiscapian systems, Kiruria has no standard KIN garrison fleet, though there are almost always Xiscapian or allied warships in the system using it as a port or base. Instead the system is defended by its Kirurian defense fleet with Xiscapian advisers and some officers. As most Kirurians are loyal to the Emperor, this is considered an acceptable degree of control to exert.

Mayokia System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 3,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 4
Moons in system: 11
Planets owned: 4 (Mayokia, Sheilo, Rasumia, Demayokia)
Moons owned: 11 (Wejia, Subadujia, Nataah-Dagomei, Isidia, Daco, Saquio, Sasumia, Ali'ée, New Kiruria, Sarahíe, Asha-tá)
Cities: Mayokia Imperial City, New Vardune, Mayoki'eh, Demayokia Imperial City
Defenses: 8,600 orbital defense platforms, 1 Kirurian Orbital Fortress, Kirurian defense fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: Mayokia is a well-rounded garden world with terrain and climates that vary by region. Shelio tends to be urban sprawl where it isn't thick jungle, and the only places that aren't are those that can support neither, such as seas and mountain ranges. Though largely flat, Rasumia is honeycombed with tunnels and underground caverns. Demayokia is almost entirely wilderness in the form of vast forests, deep lakes and rolling hills. Unlike in the home system, these worlds are all tropical or at least temperate in climate.
System governor:
Exports: Manufactured goods, raw materials, foodstuffs, ships, exotic goods, ores, industrial products, chemical products, luxury items, medicinal products, droids, spices
Overview: The capital of the system of the same name, Mayokia was the biggest commerce center in the Kirurian state and continues to be a trade hub; it is also the major shipbuilder of the sector. Sheilo is the most developed of the four and is constantly expanding with corporate growth stretching over decades and showing no signs of stopping, crushing the environment and ancient ruins alike in its path to make way for factories and processing centers. Further out Rasumia is home to most of the sector's droid companies and all of its medical and drug firms, which are support by the world's pacifist population. Demayokai is one of the most backwards territories, as its inhospitable wilderness, combined with bad weather, keeps settlement sparse and corporations uninterested. Most of the Xiscapian troop presence is one Mayokia and Sheilo.

Korria System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 3
Moons in system: 4
Planets owned: 3 (Korria, Shia, Sejemok)
Moons owned: 4 (Nas-Tan, Ehurohs, Bau Nettia, Koh-neijek)
Cities: Royal City of Kohria, Royal City of Shia, Shia Spaceport, Imperial City of Sejemok
Defenses: 7,200 orbital defense platforms, 1 Kiruri orbital fortress, Kirurian defense fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: A mild planet, Korria is mostly flat and made up of grasslands and forest, broken only by hills and small seas. Its agricultural nature means that much of what was wilderness has been converted to farmland. Shia is warm and tropical, famous for its coastlines and lush jungle islands. Sejemok is entirely plains split between tall mountain ranges with some rivers running through them to the sea. As all three planets have strict environmental controls in place from the government, all retain a natural beauty.
System governor:
Exports: Raw materials, spices, foodstuffs and food product, medicine, herbs, household products
Overview: The breadbasket of the sector, Korria is well-known for its green and lovely worlds which are little touched by modern development. Korria itself is mostly devoted to farming and agricultural, and provides foodstuffs of all kinds for the rest of the worlds in the sector, particularly those it shares the system with. Shia is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Kitsune Empire's Milky Way, rivaled only by the likes of New Alderaan and Foxlandish. However, the discovery of large reserves of resources on the planet has caused Xiscapian corporations to begin operations there, which some see as spoiling the world's beauty. Sejemok, though valuable as an inhabitable planet, is quiet and tranquil, sparsely populated and with little remarkable to its name.

Dagomei System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 8,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 3
Moons in system: 7
Planets owned: 3 (Dagomei, Do'en, Hotusia)
Moons owned: 7 (Dago, Ne-Dago, Sátarah, Sé, Ne-Dago-Sé, Ira, Yaun)
Cities: Na-Dagomei City, Old Alú Ruins, Uotago Spaceport, City of Ancient Life, Hotu Royal City
Defenses: 7,000 defense platforms, 1 Kirurian orbital fortress, Kirurian defense fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: A hot desert world, Dagomei is the opposite of Kiruria. Prolonged exposure to its sandy wastes without protection will result in dehydration and eventually death. Do'en was once a ecumenopolis which was destroyed in a war between the Dagomei and Do'en's original natives, which has now crumpled into a massive series of ruins; most of the ground was turned to glass from orbital bombardment centuries ago, and the planet's ecosystem was all but destroyed. Ironically, it now looks much like Dagomei. Hotusia is more temperate than its fellows, with ruin-covered plains across its surface.
System governor:
Exports: Metals, munitions and weaponry, minerals, vehicles and components, scrap, rare artifacts, industrial products, ore and gems, spices
Overview: Though it is the center of the system, Dagomei is curiously backwards when compared to most of the other worlds in the Kirurian sector. Its cities are advanced, but between them those unfortunate enough not to live inside the population centers tend to be poor use primitive or even ancient technology. Because its deserts cannot support the population that lives on the planet Dagomei must import almost all of its foodstuffs, which it trades for by producing large numbers of guns and bombs. Criminal groups of all kinds nest on Dagomei, particularly in the darker reaches between cities, chief of which is the still large and powerful if regional Black Rose Clan pirate organization. Kitsune Imperial forces have been working with local authorities to track and destroy such rogue elements; this initiative, combined with the decriminalization and legalization of many previously illegal items, good and services, has seen a large drop in the Dagomei crime rate.

Do'en is something of a dead city. Its ruins stretch across the entire planet, with only small sub-cities established inside of it, much of the rest being unexplored. While this makes it a hotspot for Xiscapian salvage teams, the more remote sections of the ruins are often havens to slavers and pirate groups, making traversing the planet outside of its new cities dangerous. Hotusia is the most modern and cosmopolitan world in the system, where new buildings and districts have been built around or even in conjunction with ancient ruins. As such it holds itself as the jewel of the system, and indeed it is considerably wealthier and safer as a whole than either Dagomei or Do'en.

Rusania System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 4,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 2
Moons in system: 6
Planets owned: 2 (Rusania, Kira)
Moons owned: 6 (Aalta, Danka, Da'énkira, Alúne, Sis'ría, Drakira)
Cities: Kiruri Imperial City, Ta'á City, Sonna Spaceport, Alsoén
Defenses: 5,3000 orbital defense platforms, Kirurian defense fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: Remarkable for its almost total lack of surface water, Rusania is a well-rounded planet full of different climates and terrains. It tends to be warmer in general however, rarely snowing anywhere, with desert near the equator. Kira has more well-defined seasons, with distinctive springs, summers, falls and winters, and its terrain is similar to that of the planet Sejemok, which contributes to its larger population. It is the most Earth-like planet in the Kira sector, though with nearly twenty percent less liquid water.
System governor:
Exports: Foodstuffs, various mined ores, processed foodstuffs, luxury Items, medicinal products, droids, electronic goods
Overview: Origin point for Kirurian humans, the Rusania system was long ago capital of the Rusania Empire, which dominated the Kiruri centuries ago. Until it was folded into the Kitsune Empire, however, it was a Kirurian territory, and the capital planet's wealth and technological advancement rival Kiruria's, with the benefit of having a more pleasant climate and terrain to most. This makes it prosperous, though not quite as much as it should be, as it is quite far from the other five systems of the sector. Despite this it is Kira that has one of the largest planetary populations in the area, and attracts large numbers of foreign immigrants who funnel into the former Kirurian Empire through it. This makes its immense cities home to some of the most diverse populations in the Kitsune Empire.

Mistofeyia System: (Delta Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1 (Feyucamii)
Moons owned: 2 (Mistofeyia, Akáa)
Cities: Mistofey City, Chá'taun Spaceport, Dantáng
Defenses: 1,500 orbital defense platforms, 1 Kirurian orbital fortress, Kirurian defense fleet
Garrison: Kirurian Imperial Army contingent, backed by 100,000 Xiscapian troops
Geography: Feyucamii is a humid tropical world almost completely covered by thick rainforest, with only the peaks of mountains stretching beyond the canopy; sometimes thick fog covers even those. What rivers and lakes it does have are usually swamp-like and brackish. Its hot seas are stormy and primal, full of deadly predators that grow to immense sizes, and often batter the coasts with strong winds and driving rains. What cities have been build on the planet are perched at the summit of mountains or at the stark and barren poles to avoid the hostile wildlife and inhospitable conditions of the forest floor. To make travel even more inadvisable, the planet's magnetic fields and auras of unknown energy play havoc with most sensor systems, making relying on them unwise.
System governor:
Exports: Ore, minerals, spices
Overview: Simply the fringe system of the Kirurian sector, Mistofeyia is the most remote territory and is tied with Korria for least populated. A backwater planet, Feyucamii is rich in minerals, ore and spices that are extremely difficult to access due to the hostility of the world's natural environment and fauna, which means that most factories and mining operations are set up on one of its two moons. What population centers there are tend to be insulated and inhabited by hardy settlers with few creature comforts, though Xiscapian corporations are known to be surveying the planet, as they are interested in its untapped resources. The fringe nature of the planet, combined with its low security and dangerous ecosystem, has made it an attractive hideout for criminal groups and, in recent times, terrorists. Xiscapian law enforcement and troops are working with Kirurian forces in a campaign to locate and root out these dens of scum, though progress is slow.

Moravon System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 1,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 1 (Galaxus Prime)
Moons in system: 300+
Planets owned: 127,518,000 square kilometers of land and water on Galaxus Prime (25% of the total surface area)
Moons owned: 225
Cities: 1 (Takagi)
Defenses:
1x Azov Station (Natayla)
Stock Customs Fleet
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefield
500 defense platforms
Moravon Defense Fleet (XLII Fleet)
Garrison: 75,000 troops
Geography: Most of Galaxus Prime is made up of forested mountains with plains separating the ranges. Surface water comes from inland seas and large lakes, which have rivers running between each other. As a temperate garden world with few large predators, a generally mild climate and abundant fertile land, Galaxus Prime is well-suited for colonization. The other holdings in the system are moons and asteroids around the local jovians or in the belt, which tend to be valuable for their minerals and metals but uniformly uninhabitable without terraforming or artificial shelters. For the most part Xiscapians who live in the system live and work in these places apart from the main planet; Takagi is the only significant Xiscapian population center on Galaxus Prime.
Runabouts over a stream outpost.
Military training craft in the highlands of Galaxus Prime.
Survey ships running through a local asteroid belt.
System governor: Governor Sade
Exports: Lumber, ore, medicinal and recreational drugs
Overview: Jointly colonized by the Kitsune Empire and the Interstellar Republic in Year Of Our Lord 25, the Moravon System is a minor industrial center in the Beta Quadrant for the Xiscapians. Most Xiscapian activity in the system involves mining the asteroids and moons in the system, with the bulk of the local economy being geared towards supporting those operations. On the planet itself the Xiscapian presence is relatively small, consisting of a single city with some mining stations and outposts spread across the land owned; small surface mines are intermixed with lumber houses and the occasional ancient-style farm where recreational drugs are often grown. On the whole the Xiscapian residents in the system do not interact a great deal with their IR neighbors except in the city of Takagi and to some degree at the IR capital of the planet. Though tensions ignited over the initial conflict between the two nations have cooled, the military in this area keeps a close eye on the forces it shares space with.

Yuhara System: (Alpha Quadrant)

Population: 2,000,000 (86% kitsune, 14% other)
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 352
Planets owned: 4
Moons owned: 352
Cities: N/A
Defenses:
Yuhara Customs Force (Advanced)
Yuhara Defense Fleet
1x Tipperary Station
20x Azov Stations
40x Soryu Stations
Early Warning Probe Network
Minefields
10,000 Defense Platforms
Garrison: 79th Corps (50,000 troops)
Geography: Though the Yuhara system counts four planets within its borders, none are inhabitable, being a ringed ice giant, a waterworld, a smaller carbon planet and an iron planet. Small outposts and research stations have been constructed on or in orbit of all four, but they have no permanent living residents. Other than these the system has a large, thick covering of asteroids that account for the region's value due to their richness in metals and minerals. Most of these bodies host mines, while various stations are present for the movement, processing and refining of the extracted ore, as well as to provide living spaces and defensive bastions for the system.
A snapshot of the satellites orbiting one of the jovians.
Research vessel travelling through the depths of the waterworld.
Ultralight haulers departing one of the system's artificial structures.
System governor: Vice Admiral Nokaze
Exports: Metallic, mineral and gaseous elements and compounds, exotic matter
Overview: Acquired in the terms of a peace treaty with the Solarian Empire of Cilistia Novaren in Emperor Foxfire Rose Y.O.O.R. 25, the Yuhara System was named after the Imperial Ambassadress who handled much of the negotiations that ended the short-lived "Cili-Xis War." Situated a few light years away from the solarian homeworld, the mining territory was offered up in exchange for the cilistian prisoners captured during the Battle of Glacies, which was accepted by the Kitsune Empire. The system is rich in minerals and ore, and so has become one of the principle resource sources for the Kitsune Empire in the Alpha Quadrant, though it is heavily secured against possible further foreign aggression.

Yuca-Tan System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 4,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 0
Moons in system: 300+
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 130
Cities: Alvarez, Yuca, Merlincz
Defenses: TBD
Garrison: TBD
Geography: A small, compact world in the gravity well of the jovian of the same name, Yuca is hilly, forested and flush with life that is being slowly but surely overridden by civilization. The satellite has no oceans, but rather a large network of rivers, lakes and deltas that span the globe and are a popular way of getting around where overland travel can be difficult. With a cool, wet and often foggy climate, the moon at first seems stormy but in fact has calm rains and little in the way of violent weather patterns. Orbiting the Yuca gas giant nearby is its sister colony on the moon Tan, as well as large number of resource-laden moons and asteroids. The only other feature of the system is the far-flung planet Neso, which has only a handful of moons and no life or significant resources.
Alvarez City
Cranes along one of Yuca's many waterways
Archway to Yuca City
System governor: Governor Adam Sunfell
Exports: Lumber, novelties/luxury items, labor, vehicles
Overview: Captured by Xiscapian forces during Operation: Twilight Fall against the Saurisian United Dinosaur States, Yuca is one of two satellite colonies in the Yuca-Tan System, the other being the moon Tan. After sterling work by agents of the Imperial Intelligence Department the Saurisian military network was thrown into chaos by a computer virus, rendering many of the colony's defenses inoperable, while coordinated attacks by human and dragon rebels on various targets did the rest, Xiscapian forces were able to swiftly roll over the moon's garrison, bringing it under Imperial control in less than twelve hours. This was followed by a mopping up and disarming of the local defense forces and the release of the Xenohuman KC-XV Techno-Evolutionary Diversion Antigen "Koch's Contagion", which infected the bulk of the populace and mutated the dinosaurs into sergals, which are most closely akin to lupine-raptor hybrids. The accompanying psychological and cognitive engineering embedded with the virus made the population of Yuca more intelligent and, perhaps counter-intuitively, less docile than their original Saurisian counterparts, followed by the establishment of programs to assist the newly-altered citizens to their lives in the Kitsune Empire. By the dawn of the first day as an Xiscapian colony, Yuca was already beginning to return to its busy, and now superior, self.

Kirkwood System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 6,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 32
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 32
Cities: Kirkwood, Cera Falls, Dath City
Defenses: TBD
Garrison: TBD
Geography: A arid, mountainous world, Kirkwood has a thin atmosphere and little in the way of life apart from a few hardy plants and burrowing or subterranean creatures. Though rocky, the planet's landforms are well-organized, with definite valleys, passes and ranges, which make overland and aerial travel easier than it might otherwise be. With little rainfall and warm conditions Kirkwood can resemble something of a wasteland at times, particularly given its high, barren surface. Near Kirkwood lies a large 600 kilometer asteroid called God's Stone ringed by smaller rocks; these house a number of stations and processing plants that handle the mineral loads from both Kirkwood and the greater system. Kirkwood's solitary moon, Lanoche, is not suitable for this on account of being covered in molten lava.
The infamous Cera Falls DNS Prison
Remnants from the battle of Kirkwood
Mountaintop mining installations
System governor: Governor Ghent Vadith
Exports: Ore and minerals, industrial alloys, metametals, specialized crystals
Overview: Taken as a part of Operation: Twilight Fall against the Dinosaur States of Saurisia, Kirkwood found itself the target of Xiscapian and Alversian special forces who prepared the planet for the arrival of the main Xiscapian invasion fleet. Key members of the government and military were assassinated and targets sabotaged in a massive operation that included operatives from over a dozen Xiscapian protectorates and colonies, including Kiruria, Phenia, Polaris, Cruor, Avalas and Neo Kirisubui, which ultimately paved the way for the colony's downfall at the hands of the Kitsune Empire. Kirkwood's small naval garrison was wiped out and her ground forces surrendered after token resistance, with assistance from Saurisian rebel groups. Today Kirkwood thrives as a small if important asset to the Kitsune Empire in the quadrant, thanks to her heavy output of needed resources. Like other Saurisian colonies, Kirkwood's population was exposed to Koch's Contagion.

Enon System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 11,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 99
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 99
Cities: Davenport, Trem, Rammos
Defenses: TBD
Garrison: TBD
Geography: A planet of plains, most of Enon is flat and level. Dominated by grasslands, steppes and prairie, the surface is only broken by incidental forests and bodies of water, which lends to strong winds and fast-moving weather systems across the world. Climates vary by region, from near desert in the southern parts to temperate further north and tundra at the poles. The Enon System has a number of other worlds, all of which have been devastated by greenhouse effects and are thus not fit for life. Many of the satellites here come not from orbiting around large jovians, but in tightly packed clusters around rocky terrestrial worlds.
An Enon Customs vessel on patrol
Rammos Starport
Down one of Enon's highways
System governor: Governor Jan Ashen
Exports: Processed materials, finished goods, fabrication equipment, parts
Overview: Liberated during Operation: Twilight Fall, Enon found itself subjected to the whims of Xenohuman LethalOps specialists, ExCom contractors and Setulanite Ghosts, among other AXIS-aligned forces that took their toll on Saurisian infrastructure and military personnel immediately before the assault. The attacks came so rapidly and with such force that some garrisons did not even realize that the planet was being invaded until Xiscapian tanks rolled up to their bunkhouses. Unable to outfight the Imperial and allied forces that appeared so suddenly, and with nowhere to run or hide, the Saurisians laid down their arms en masse. Since then the Kitsune Empire has turned to utilizing Enon's expanses for manufacturing and production purposes, a project which the planet is well-suited for. Like other Saurisian colonies, the population was exposed to Koch's Contagion.

Libertas System: (Beta Quadrant)

Population: 10,000,000,000
Inhabitable planets in system: 1
Moons in system: 2
Planets owned: 1
Moons owned: 2
Cities: Libertas, Pacifica, Octavia
Defenses: TBD
Garrison: TBD
Geography: Unlike the other planets in the "Twilight" sector, Libertas has a diverse range of geographies with a wide variety of ecosystems, from frigid, flat polar regions to steamy jungles around the equator and more temperate, fertile lands in-between. With a pleasant climate consisting of cool, rainy winters and dry summers the world is fit for the species it is intended for. The more mountainous and warmer areas tend to be inhabited by the population's dragons, while flatter and cooler zones are human or otherwise. Ringing the system are a number of mineral-rich asteroids, which provide it with some indigenous wealth. The system's other worlds are small and uninhabitable.
A tropical floater in a Libertas paradise
A militia patrol approaching base
Examples of different Libertas environments
System governor: Governor Kalira Drayen
Exports: Labor, finished goods, weapons, starships
Overview: After the end of Operation: Twilight Fall against the Saurisian States the Kitsune Empire met and negotiated with the rebel groups who had assisted it in conquering several of the dinosaur colonies and liberating the people. While many of the guerrillas found living on the planets they helped free acceptable, still more, particularly dragon separatists and human freedom fighters wanted distance between their former oppressors and the opportunity to decide their own destiny. For them Libertas was settled, forming enclaves for various groups who wanted to start communities and new lives, as well as settlements for refugees, escapees from Saurisian territory and the like. With a healthy mix of economic assets and resource output the main world manages to be self-sufficient while still supplying the Kitsune Empire, and its well-funded, trained and experienced militia and Customs forces are the envy of the sector. Though ruled by an Imperial Governor, the individual enclaves are broadly allowed their own determination in laws and governance, and Xiscapian presence serves mostly as protection.

[Xiscapia]

Emperor Foxfire Rose
Age: 58
Height: 6,1
Type: Vulpes Vulpes
Born to a simple farming family, Foxfire Rose graduated from Rio Casa University with honors at twenty two and became an Imperial Marine in the Kitsune Imperial Navy at twenty three to serve his mandatory military service. While fighting in one of the endless skirmishes and boarder disputes during the Korr War he met his future wife, Jade, and saved her life from Korr soldiers, later losing his brother in that same battle. Later honorably discharged from the service, he ran for public office and was elected Emperor, and through his policies and direction brought the Kitsune Empire through the end of the Korr War. Since then he has led the nation though countless disputes and conflicts and constructed dozens of alliances and trade agreements. Popular both at home and aboard for his humility, intelligence, wisdom and steady hand, Foxfire Rose appears to be in place as Emperor for many years to come.
Unity, culture, blood, ancestry, honor: These are our highest virtues.

Empress Jade Rose
Age: 46
Height: 5,7
Type: Homo Vulpes
Jade Rose is the wife of Foxfire Rose, making her the Empress of Xiscapia and a member of the Imperial Family. She was born into an aristocratic family, her mother an Imperial Ambassadress, her father a starship captain. She was always surrounded by luxery and wealth, provided for in all ways and never wanting for anything, but she soon grew dissatisfied with the decadent lifestyle. Jade disliked the way her parents tried to pamper and shelter her from the outside world, and often rebelled against them, with mixed results. While she always achieved high grades in school, she tended to hang around with the poorer kits, abhorring the often arrogant upper class children. After completing her schooling Jade left her city (Lune) and became, against all expectations and to the abject horror of her parents, a pilot for a small freight company. Jade and Foxfire met when Foxfire saved Jade from a Korr boarding party as a soldier. They married a short time after and have stayed together ever since.
Any fool can die for a cause, but it takes a true believer to live for one.

The Vanadict
Age: 51
Height: 5,6
Type: Homo Vulpes
Vanadict is a name and also a title, given to the Imperial Family's top advisor and head of the Diplomatic Corps. No one knows the Vanadict's real name or her origins, but she has capably served the Emperor for almost his entire reign and is responsible for fostering many of the Kitsune Empire's earliest relations, including those with the People's Republic of Alversia. It is on her advisement that the Emperor makes many policy decisions and issues decrees, and she is often slated to be the one to attend very high level conferences and greet distinguished guests entering the Kitsune Empire. Despite the mystery surrounding the kitsune she is generally well received by those she meets and has a reputation for being reserved yet quick with the tongue, unflappable and extremely dedicated. As head of the Diplomatic Corps she appoints new Imperial diplomats and assigns them to various nations or events.
Warfare consists of kicking an enemy out of a given area. Diplomacy is the art of making him pack for the trip.

Doctor Ginta
Age: 48
Height: 5,9
Type: Homo Vulpes
Doctor Ginta is the leader of the government panel of experts called the Scientific Advisory Board, and has been employed by the Kitsune Empire and private interests in xenobiology, terraforming, linguistics, archeology and defense contracting work, among other fields. He oversaw the terraforming of Korrilia, the excavation of Old Xiscapia, invented the powerful R.E.A.P.E.R. disruptor weapon, assisted in Project Glorious Avail in bringing about the advent of the Jaunt Drive and does many field projects on the ruins in the Kitsune Empire. He is an overall deeply moral person with gentlemanly conduct, and has been toted as one of the greatest modern scientists for his intelligence, enthusiasm and range and depth of thought. However, he can be absent-minded, awkward socially and is easily flustered and not a warrior; he genuinely cannot understand why everyone can't just get along.
It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.[/url]

Silvertooh and Nightshade Rose (sorry, no pciture is avaliable at this time)
Age: Twenty two, both
Height: 6,1 and 5,8 respectivelly
Type: Vulpes Vulpes, both
Silvertooth and Nightshade are the son and daughter of the leaders of the False Rebellion, James Rose and the pirate queen Vila.
Children were conceived in hope for James and Vila to pass on the mantle of Chaos to heirs and to act as enforcers for them when they took over the Kitsune Empire. However, they gave birth to bekko, or twins, an extremely rare phenomenon in Xiscapians. Unfortunatly for the two, bekko are seen as being blessed by Qonn, and James and Vila wanted nothing to do with the Xiscapian god, and so handed them over to the Calaverians for a large sum of money. The bekko then spent some nineteen years changing hands, from the Calaverians as experiments to the Danaversians as slaves to wealthy criminal groups as novelties, until they were finally rescued by an Xiscapian team raiding the stronghold of Jorga the Hutt. They were then adopted by the Imperial Family. While Nightshade has adapted better to life in Xiscapia than her brother, Silvertooth retains an extreme hatred for Calaverians and Danaversians, and has destroyed planets and killed millions of people who he saw as unfit to live. Silvertooth owns the starcruiser Whispers of Remorse, while Nightshade owns the Black Raider vessel Devouring Light.
Our allegiance is not to any state, race, people or ideal; our first and only alliance is to each other.

High Priest May nghein
Age: Unknown, thought to be at least two thousand years
Height: 6,4
Type: Vulpes Vulpes
An incredibly old kitsune, May nghein was discovered during the Thirteenth Danaversian War by a Setulanite Ghost squad and a mercenary team that had been sent to rescue an Xiscapian POW from the Danaversians. The Danaversians were attempting to mine Guilda energy crystals from the planet Terracropolis (not being aware of an Xis-Alvo-N-K expedition which had already attempted this and failed, leading to widespread rumors that the world was cursed), and they landed to investigate a temple emitting radiation matching that of Guilda crystals. Once the Coalition units had tracked the Danaversians though the temple and to the center, all came under attack by May nghein and his familiars, who slaughtered the Danaversians and inflicted casualties on the Coalition. In the end May nghein removed himself from the structure as it collapsed, and was taken to Xiscapia where he was identified by the Church and declared the long-awaited leader of the Cult of Bodom. May nghein owns a frigate called the Apocolypse V.
The dead must not be disturbed.

Lady Erravvi
Age: Thought to be about one year
Height: 6,0
Type: Probably Vulpes Vulpes
Lady Erravvi is the result of a Calaverian experiment gone wrong. Completed in the days before the Thirteenth Danaversian War and the collapse of the Communist State, she was intended to be a supersoldier who would assist the Calaverians in removing the Xiscapian Overseers, but in her first minutes of life Erravvi rebelled against the destiny assinged to her and escaped the facility she had been birthed in, killing many and stealing a starship. As she wandered though space she came under the influence and teachings of the Sith for a short time, but after learning all she could the kitsune declared the Order 'flawed' and killed her master, fleeing against, this time hijacking a Star Destroyer. Since learning of her existence, various institutions, including the Imperial Intelligence Department, the Cult, the Ascians and, it is rumored, the Shadow Operations have been searching for her. Reports put her somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy, but her intentions and course are unknown.
I think, therefore, I am. I kill, therefore, I persevere.

Sir Urteil
Age: Unknown, thought to be several centuries
Height: 6,2
Type: Vulpes Vulpes
Sir Urteil is an aristocrat of good breeding and high manners. In modern society persons of nobility are keeping to themselves as they slowly die out, with little influence over the politics of the Kitsune Empire, but Urteil is the one exception. Exerting an undue amount of power and influence over the Xiscapian government, the rich kitsune is said to have his hands in just about every pie there is, including, it is rumored, Triad Corporation, the Syndicate, the Five, the Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps, the Imperial Administration and the Xiscapian Department of Armed Services, among others. A gentleman to the core, Urteil is nevertheless very arrogant, and looks down on offworlders and anyone not of aristocratic origins. Urteil is a superb duelist and almost always carries with him his rapier sword and a pair of dueling pistols, despite the fact that dueling is no longer widely practiced in the Kitsune Empire. He owns the starship Obscurantist
I am surrounded by plebeians.

[Xiscapia]

Captain Tawara (Fifty-Three Years in Space)

Captain Mitsune (Dimension)

Captain Kakura (&Anita) (Blue Like Jazz)

Shimo -Executive Command Corporation

President Nakamoto (Nakamoto Dockyards)

Executive Director Kyat (Kyat Drive Yards)

CEO Cuqa (Blasttech Industries)

[Xiscapia]

Kartosh
Age: 35
Height: 6,1
Type: Homo Vulpes
Kartosh was born in the city of Tenfour. His parents were both soldiers who met on the battlefield, and he was raised with the expectation that he, too, would joined the military. Indeed, his good reflexes, accuracy with a weapon, and above average proficincy with mechanics marked him for a future as either a battle engineer or perhaps even a Scout, Reconnaissance and Sabotage trooper. In school, however, Kartosh was lazy, rarely turning up to class and often not doing the work when he was there. The only subjects which ever seemed to interest him involved either combat or shop class. He graduated, barely, and was immediatly sent to military school, to be trained as a battlefield pilot. He dropped out halfway though, however, and, after buying a used ore hauler with the credits he had saved up, vanished. During the Korr Wars he worked as an independent contractor to smuggle supplies, people and information though Korr lines, changing ships almost as fast as he changed contracts. As the war began to draw to a close, Kartosh saved enough money to have Kyat Drive Yards produce the state-of-the-art Black Raider vessel Star Snake, which he uses currently for smuggling and mercenary activities. He has been labeled as "a nusiance" by Custom Officals (which he considers high praise) and, while war and Customs ships from a multitude of nations have attempted to capture him and his ship multiple times, he has yet to be caught.
Time for a celebratory drink.

Skyler
Age: 29
Height: 5,7
Type: Homo Vulpes
Born of a merchant and a journalist, Skyler grew up on Kel, the rocky mining moon orbiting Xiscapia. She graduated middle of her class, and went on to trade school to become a teacher in combat, specifically unarmed, close quarters for security companies. However, she was unable to maintain the course and dropped out, receiving some training from a corporation which employed guards on private freighters. Her assigned vessel, the Blasted Thing, named after the ship's defective nav computer, was a meduim-sized freighter that hauled supplies out to Xiscapian troops stationed at the front. On one run the moon which the ship was delievering to was invaded by Korr forces, and the Blasted Thing was shot down, crash-landing and killing the other two members of the crew on impact.

Skyler, having been knocked unconscious but otherwise only superficially injured, was captured by the Korr and imprisoned. Finally, having been considered less important than captured kitsune soldiers and officers since she was only a mercenary guard, Skyler was the only kitsune yet to be interrogated. As she was brought in for the session Kartosh was flying back from a blockade run overhead and was intercepted and nearly destroyed by Korr fighters. This resulted in him crash-landing into the prison facility (he claims he aimed for it) and the resulting damage leveled most of the complex. Skyler, having been in a subterranean part of the instillation, was unharmed by the holocaust above, though her guards were not so lucky.

She made her way to the surface, where, despite weakness and injuries, she and Kartosh worked together to fight off the remaining Korr and steal a transport. After their recovery she agreed to become Kartosh's partner, and is simultaneously his partner, lover, co-pliot and gunner, and also his balancing force, offsetting his devil-may-care attitude and often foolish impulses with her caution and intelligence.
A sword is worth more than the biggest gun which has no ammunition.

Tara
Age: Nineteen
Height: 5,4
Type: Homo Vulpes
Tara grew up on the streets of Kel, her father a police officer, her mother having left him shortly after she was born. When she was seventeen Tara was abducted by pirates when the Alversian freighter she was riding was hijacked, and for six months she was held captive in the stronghold of Grabba the Hutt as a slave. When Grabba's men stole a Black Raider class starship from Kyat Drive Yards the mercenaries sent by the company to kill Grabba and recover the vessel, Kartosh, Skyler and their partners Nathan and Chloe, rescued Tara shortly before completing their mission. Tara became the third member of the crew of the Star Snake and has formed a relationship with both Skyler and Chloe. Known for her flirtatiousness and blatant lesbianism, Tara's greatest weapons are her young apperance and her sultry good looks, but she is still an excellent shot and daredevil pilot, taking after Kartosh in that regard.
(Referencing her sexual orientation) Yes, I am. No, you can't watch.

Shatei Seiji

Shatei Yushi

Sei Vydam

Enishi Senkaku

Captain Kacho

[Xiscapia]

Xiscapian Internal Affairs:

Director Agent Sadojima

Special Agent Kunai

Imperial Intelligence Department:

Director Takashi

Agent Director Amatsukaze

Agent Yanagi

Agent Minekaze

Agent Kumo

Agent Director Okawa

Agent Kaga

[Xiscapia]

The Xiscapian economy is built on trade with other nations. Though the Kitsune Empire has all the resources it requires to provide for its citizens and industries at any given time, the technology, exotic goods, ideas, workers, methods of production and the like it imports are invaluable to its economic growth. It may also trade unneeded or surplus goods or services in exchange for rarer items, particularly when a project or construction demands a large amount of raw materials that are not readily available. When dealing with other nations and organizations the Kitsune Empire practices nearly free trade with all those it deems acceptable trading partners, restricting the import and export of only a few types of goods and services, typically due to their illegality. Though the greater nation has a set number of peers it trades with, individual Xiscapian merchants are always seeking out new markets.

The Corporations

After the end of the Korr Wars many services and enterprises which were previously provided by nationalized entities or directly from the government became privatized, including starship construction, arms production, energy research and development, mining and gas harvesting, farming, artificial agriculture and synthesized food production, general manufacturing, information services and other industries once critical to the war effort. Various Xiscapian companies have since expanded off the home world, growing into sector, nation and even galaxy-spanning organizations with facilities on dozens of worlds, millions of employees and billions of customers. The touch of commercialization is especially felt in Kitsune Imperial protectorates and colonies, where the corporations are often most eager to seize new markets and cement their brands before their rivals can, often acquiring native businesses at the same time.

Nakamoto Dockyards

The premier Xiscapian ship-building company, Nakamoto Dockyards moved in to take over after the nationalized Xiscapian Shipyards went defunct at the end of the Korr Wars. Driven by the sheer will and vision of its founder, former Flotilla Captain Nakamoto, the Dockyards began by designing and producing the next generation of Kitsune Imperial Navy warships, beating out a host of competitors and securing its place at the top of the industry and raking in trillions of Imperial Credits while establishing the tradition of the military using craft designed, built and produced by Xiscapians. Once comfortably in place as a leader in his field, Nakamoto ordered the research into the bulk cargo vessels that the Xiscapian Merchant Marine would require for interstellar and eventually intergalactic trade, eventually marketing the popular and successful line of Hapkido, Dojo and Kaga merchantmen used in the Kitsune Empire today. In its time Nakamoto Dockyards has also engaged in a number of other business ventures, including cooperative projects with Alversian and Setulanite ship-building companies, the design and construction of the Yahweh class Solar Dreadnought with Xeno-Tech Corporation (via the subsidy Mekajiki Orbital Foundries), sales to foreign governments allied with the Kitsune Empire and even investments in colonies and protectorates. The Triad Consortium, as it is properly known, was Nakamoto's brainchild, resulting in the powerful union between his company, Kyat Drive Yards and Blast-Tech Industries.

Blast-Tech Industries

Picking up where nationalized arms production left off, Blast-Tech Industries smoothly picked up thousands of weapons factories, former government employees and shelved designs at the behest of the wealthy businessman Cuqa, a kitsune who produced propaganda for the Kitsune Empire during the Korr War through its public services departments. The President's passion for promiscuity, even for an Xiscapian kitsune, got him into several scandals as he bonded with multiple Alversian women who he fancied, producing one of the first known Xis-Alvo hybrids in the process, but despite the rocky start the company soon grew into an arms powerhouse as it gained contracts for small arms from the Xiscapian Imperial Army, allowing it to dominate the market. Almost every personal weapon in the Xiscapian Imperial Military today was designed and produced by Blast-Tech Industries. With a focus on designing and producing weaponry for the many military, paramilitary and law enforcement agencies of the Kitsune Empire, Blast-Tech also has a grip on the civilian arms market, though its specialty remains in making the large, heavy weapons Xiscapians are known for. Blast-Tech forms the largest part of the Triad Consortium, and is most responsible for its conglomeration of smaller unrelated companies to expand the power of the organization.

Kyat Drive Yards

Otherwise known as KDY, Kyat Drive Yards began life as a tiny company started by the savant starship designer Kyat, a former Imperial engineer-technician. In the beginning KDY focused almost entirely on designing a small range of extremely high-quality components and parts for commercial craft, specializing in both high-speed sport racing and rugged, long-endurance probes and drones. The exceptional grade of the work caught the attention of the Imperial Administration directly, which offered KDY the contract to design it a fleet of transports for use by its highest officials including the Imperial Family; KDY accepted, and planned out the Firebird class Diplomatic Transport, which proceeded to become the official vessel of the Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps and went into use across various government agencies. Since then KDY has expanded significantly, producing the venerable Black Raider class of personal craft so advanced and expensive that they are only produced in single-digit numbers each year as well as a host of craft for the military, including the Harbinger class Long Range Missile Cruiser (jointly with Ilveri Shipyards), the Javelin class Light Frigate, the Fuma class Electronic Warfare Ship, the Invictus class Destroyer and the Twilight class Scout. KDY forms the third and smallest part of the Triad Consortium.

Asmira Conglomerate

One of the start-up competitors to Nakamoto Dockyards, the Asmira Conglomerate began simply as the small Asmira Corporation, but lost the bidding competition on almost all of the contracts with the Kitsune Imperial Navy, just managing to come out with the contract to design and build the next-generation shuttle, which came to be known as the Flyer class. Moving quickly, Asmira joined with a number of supply, production and manufacturing interests that had been left out in the cold by Nakamoto, and together they used their combined clout to break into the civilian freight market, designing and producing a series of highly successful commercial craft including runabouts, tugs, salvage craft, transports and ultralight freighters, many of which remain popular today. With this victory the Asmira Conglomerate launched off to design many of the small and strike craft used in the Xiscapian military, including a variety of transports, fighters, gunships, escape pods and drones. In current times it is the biggest rival of both Nakamoto Dockyards and Kyat Drive Yards, making most of its money off civilian demand for cheap, reliable starships, though it remains smaller than Triad overall. Because of this the Asmira Conglomerate is known as the "small ship" foil to the capital ships and bulk freighters made by Nakamoto Dockyards.

Detritus Mining Incorporated

Birthed by the same officials who were once in charge of the government mining operations, Detritus Mining Incorporated was typical of its time in that it rose above and beyond a morass of competitors to master its field. Even as it busied itself by consolidating as many of the former Kitsune Imperial sites as it could the company kept at the forefront of the nation's expansion, sending out contracted survey craft and purchasing land rights every time its parent nation entered a new territory in hopes of getting first pick of the resources there. This strategy has worked well for DMI thus far, as it has installations in almost every system in the Kitsune Empire and is easily the largest mining company in the nation, having long since grown profitable enough for its founders to retire. It helps that the company is the Imperial Military's favorite to order from when it comes time to construct new assets, as the corporation has a reputation for being dependable and providing high-grade materials on schedule. On the darker side, DMI has shown that it is not shy about gobbling up potential rivals and disadvantaged foreign companies whenever it gets the chance, and not even the toxic finances and corruption in some of these businesses has prevented DMI's growth as an Xiscapian powerhouse in the mining industry.

White Dwarf Limited

An Avalan company, White Dwarf Limited was one of the main competitors to the Xiscapian giant Oken Shipping Lines, both companies specializing in the hauling of freight and people in ultralight and bulk transports. When the Vekis War resolved and it was revealed that Executive Oken had been imprisoned and impersonated by a Boolean-employed shapeshifter an investigation traced numerous smuggling links back to the company. Amid scandal, and still physically scarred from the incident, Oken stepped down from his position and OSL was bought out by White Dwarf, which made the Xiscapian corporation into a subsidy. Today the companies handle much of the shipping that moves throughout the Kitsune Empire and its protectorates, including the cheaper passenger transport that many people rely on to move from system to system. In recent times White Dwarf, and OSL especially, has been stepping up escorts, defenses and guards to protect their ships against acts of piracy and terrorism.

Faldren Industries

Before it came arrived at New Rastha from its Ferran home Faldren Industries was a small start-up with little capital, but once putting its foundation on the moon the company grew at an exponential rate. Focusing on manufacturing, Faldren has factories throughout the Barrens outside the capital and is a major contributor to the pollution of the world, but produces finished goods and parts at an incredible rate. Using its profits to finance shell companies and subsidy companies in other industries, Faldren is aggressively expanding in every way it can, forcibly putting its foot in the door anywhere it could stand to make money. The corporation has a contract with Griffon's Company to give it both security and shock troops for use against threats to its business, though it has been known to hire freelancers when it needs to be more discreet. It is known to have its headquarters in Intros City on Ferra.

Implants Incorporated

Otherwise known as II, Implants Incorporated is a company that literally pervades almost every Xiscapian though most do not think of it in everyday life. II provides Xiscapians with a wide variety of implants including modifiers for strength, reflexes, senses, bone strength and structure, neural computers, "normalization" (anti-psychic) blockers and more, and most Xiscapians have some piece of II 'ware in their body, which is often planted there at or near birth. Many of the researchers, designers and surgeons who are employed by the corporation are former medics and doctors who were a part of the Xiscapian Imperial Military. With a near-stranglehold on the Xiscapian market, Implants Incorporated is seeking to expand into foreign nations, bringing its technology to even more people that it can make money off of. Because of its size and power, II is one of the top ten largest corporations in the Kitsune Empire, and is carefully watched and regulated by the government.

Augmentations Limited

One of the only sizable competitors to Implants Incorporated, Augmentations Limited specializes in producing cybernetics that interface with existing computer systems, a field that often overlaps with the implants marketed by II. Though the smaller company, AL secured its place by selling neural uplinks and upgraded systems to the KIN, as well as making virtual reality chambers and a variety of integrated cybernetic computers, including those that interface with Xiscapian battle armor to regulate certain bodily functions and the flow of artificial stimulants. With its focus on holographics, commercialized civilian-grade attachments and a slick advertising department, AL has a reputation for being flashy and producing hot products that tend to be popular across the Home Galaxy. In its time the corporation has also dabbled in genetic manipulation and biological augmentations (the original source of its name) but a combination of government restrictions and public distaste for such things has kept R&D on the matter limited. It remains to be seen whether it will eventually outpace the behemoth Implants Incorporated, but given that the two markets are different enough to be distinct it is doubtful that the corporate rivalry will end anytime soon.

Coldfire Limited

Founded in Year Of Our Lord Emperor Foxfire Rose 10 by Alversian immigrant and ex-Black Falcon commando Lance Martel, Coldfire Limited was at the time primarily concerned with connecting the various Xiscapian Private Military Companies (PMCs) that had sprung up in the wake of the Korr War with clients, including the Kitsune Imperial Military, various corporations and private interests. Over the past fifteen years Coldfire has expanded to include smaller contracting firms of other kinds and has branched out to provide its services to foreign private military providers as well, such as the Setulanite Veteran's Trust, the Aluminan Valoria's Shield Security and the Karaigan Firestorm Strike Solutions. Coldfire has contracted with dozens of major corporations and hundreds of smaller ones to give governments, other companies and interested parties everything from security to logistical support, and puts jobs in the hands of contractors on the other end. Put simply, Coldfire acts as the middleman between entities who want to hire private troops and the soldiers-for-hire themselves, putting the best candidates in touch with those who can use them. As of now, Coldfire Limited is reaching out to other organizations in the universe to give all the same opportunities it has provided local space for so many years.

Spectra Hauling Company

Based out of the Milky Way Galaxy, Spectra Hauling Company started on Chalybs to provide the new colony with transport to and from the Home Galaxy. It later expanded its operations to serve the other colonies that sprang up in the new galaxy and facilitate commerce with Xiscapian allies and trade partners, competing first with Oken Shipping Lines and later with White Dwarf Limited as the latter absorbed the former for contracts, permissions and deals. Spectra focuses heavily in moving freight especially on a small, intrasystem level in ultralights and personal transports. Though this does not provide the same profit margins as the bulk work favored by the likes of its rivals, Spectra does not need to deal with piracy or terrorist attacks on its craft and personnel as often, which is considered an acceptable trade off. The company is known for purchasing impounded ships at auction and converting them into transports.

Dawnstar Storage Firm

With ownership over an estimated fifth of all commercial storage space in the Kitsune Empire, including warehouses, personal storage units and depositories, the Dawnstar Storage Firm is responsible for keeping uncounted masses of goods and items safe and secure at the behest of its clients and investors. Though Dawnstar is typically a trusted company when it comes to acting as the beginning and end point of the commerce system, it does have a history of allowing unused or decrepit facilities to be abandoned, often to the benefit of the homeless, local criminal factions and occasionally the odd terrorist cell. In recent times DSF has hired the Ultor Private Legion to provide its installations with increased security, but this appears to be more geared towards preventing its occupied warehouses from being broken into and stolen from than keeping its unused ones from being used for nefarious ends. Dawnstar also owns a number of junkyards, landfills and ship-breaking facilities and is a major player in the business of scrap, salvage and scavenging, where it will often pay independent salvage teams for items they find and refurbish and resell or recycle them in tertiary operations. Though Dawnstar facilities can be found at any major port city or station, their salvage yards are typically based on frontier worlds where most of the scrap is found.

Newmint Incorporated

One of the chief competitors to Detritus Mining Incorporated, Newmint Incorporated is a Berrax mining company that was the first international business to be established in the nascent Republic after its founding. Though much smaller than its Xiscapian rival, Newmint has a solid base on the mineral-rich Berrax homeworld of Nova Max, and often takes the initiative in deploying its own company and contracted scouts to seek out ore reserves in undiscovered territory, speedily deploying protective troops and filing official claims to prevent findings from being taken away through legal wrangling or by force. In particular the corporation has been spreading into former Greali territory, using Intergalactic Empire records recovered during the liberation or documents "confiscated" from rogue Greali to pinpoint the location of old mines to be moved back into. Rumor has it that Newmint and DMI sometimes fight shadow corporate wars over such valuable assets, typically when one side or the other has used illegal means to locate a resource and cannot rely on legal measures to validate their claim, though there is little concrete proof. Nevertheless, the steady hiring of mercenaries of all stripes by Newmint and deals that have had it acquiring assault transports and secondhand armored vehicles hint that the company isn't purely using its troops for defensive purposes.

Final Frontier International

Birthed out of a few dozen ambitious spacers with a handful of ships and a keen talent for astrocartography, Final Frontier International had since grown into a respectably large and well-known exploration, survey and scouting company. Among other services, FFI maps systems and celestial bodies, examines asteroids, moons and planets for resources and locates lost assets and facilities for governments, corporations and private interests alike. Though the corporation as a whole is loyal to the Kitsune Empire, it is decidedly non-partisan otherwise, having worked with and accepted contracts from sources as diverse as the rivals DMI and Newmint, the Xiscapian Scientific Advisory Board and the Church of Setulan, the Alversian Veela and the Macronian Janissaries. FFI maintains a fleet of specialized, fast ships with powerful sensor suites and multitudes of probes, such as Searchlight class Scouts, refurbished Ravenwood corvettes and the odd requisitioned Alversian TT-class monitor, along with a few larger cruisers for long-duration, high-intensity operations. Many Xiscapian merchants, pirate hunters and salvage crews got their start in, or later transfer to, Final Frontier International.

Methane Foundries Incorporated

One of the few Boolean companies to survive the Great Patriotic War intact and still in Boolean hands by virtue of being located in the peaceful Athlathon System, Methane Foundries Incorporated became a regional success by building for and supplying Coalition forces as soon as the option became viable. This wise move secured the corporation's future, giving it enough revenue to take advantage of the depressed state of the post-war Boolean economy and acquire or shut out most nearby competition, securing its hold on the market. MFI's factories are chiefly Boolean owned and operated, keeping in family tradition, and are known for their production of drones, droids and other automatons, which is the company's specialty. As of late the MFI CEO has hired Karaigan ASSET mercenaries to protect himself, his kin and his corporate headquarters in response to growing threats of piracy, terrorism and disgruntled workers. MFI is known to have ties to the Xiscapian Syndicate, which is how authorities believe the criminal empire has gotten it hands on restricted types of drones.

Anlace Arms

One of the only weapon's makers that can stand up to Blast-Tech Industries in the international market, Anlace Arms was started by a conglomeration of Xiscapian, Ferran and Avalan businessmen shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Anlace's business strategy is simple; Blast-Tech may have cornered the market on military-grade weaponry, but its products often require implants to be used effectively, which do not make its armaments attractive in some civilian markets, so AA fills in the gap with cheap, relatively low-power guns suitable for domestic use. Though commonly regarded as lacking the same quality and firepower as Blast-Tech products, Anlace Arms nevertheless makes up for it in quantity and ease of use, making simple weapons that are easily maintained, repaired and operated that can be replaced quickly and without much cost, with no augmentations needed. This has made Anlace popular in some parts of the Kitsune Empire, as well as in foreign markets hungry for weaponry that AA can flood with guns, though the company has come under investigation for suspicious arms sales. In addition to small arms, Anlace also produces a limited line of heavy weaponry, body armor, transports and paramilitary vehicles, and is known for its armed watercraft.

Genetics Incorporated

Springing up shortly after the end of the Korr Wars, Genetics Incorporated's founders managed to navigate strict Xiscapian anti-genetic-manipulation laws to both form the company and make it profitable, albeit often by shifting critical operations to other nations. Servicing primarily Alversians, Genetics Incorporated (often "GenInc") has taken its cues from the government and companies of the People's Republic on that front, providing reliable genetic management and alteration services for Alversians in foreign territory. In its time GenInc has had dealings with the Kitsune Empire itself, most notably in the now-declassified "Letalis Amor" project in which the company worked jointly with Xiscapian scientists to produce a "genophage" virus designed to wipe out the Danaversian species as a last-resort weapon during the Great Patriotic War, though it was never deployed on a mass scale. GenInc has also devoted valuable research into the Korrillian biological weapon Swift Sword, the Sennai-targeted Blacklight virus, the Imitator disease and the Xenohuman KC-XV Techno-Evolutionary Diversion Antigen ("Koch’s Contagion"), working at neutralizing, producing a cure or immunization for or improving strains as commissioned. Because its reserves of various biological hazards are a potential target for terrorist organizations, GenInc has hired both ExCom troops and Karaigan HELIOS mercenaries to secure its installations to prevent such materials from falling into the wrong hands.

Novasurge Weapons Group

Founded by an enterprising Alversian, the Novasurge Weapons Group is a middling but stable arms company known for designing and producing energy weapons of various types. Such are not nearly as in-demand as Blast-Tech's heavy weapons or Anlace Arms's handguns and assault rifles, but Novasurge does a fair amount of business in stun weapons and is renowned for its holdout pistols, giving it its own place in the market. The company focuses mostly on civilian-grade energy weapon small arms, including modified particle beams, lasers, blasters, light disruptors and ionic weaponry, but also produces industrial cutting lasers, plasma torches and the like that can double as defensive armaments. One major area where Novasurge competes with Blast-Tech is in point-defense grids for commercial and private installations and vessels, which though a smaller part of both company's market share is one of the most hotly contested, with each trumpeting minor advancements over the other at every opportunity in that field. Novasurge facilities are typically only found on inner Xiscapian worlds, conceding to Blast-Tech the advantage of having frontier markets in return for safety from the fringe.

Green Star Line

Whereas the likes of White Dwarf Limited and the Spectra Hauling Company deal with the mass movement of goods and people, Green Star Line focuses on the operation of a series of large luxury liners that take those who can afford them on cruises to some of the most famous and exotic ports in the Twin Galaxies. Maintaining a fleet of sixty two purpose-made Festival class cruise ships, Green Star Line operates the vessels in four groups of fifteen, always holding two in permanent reserve, with subsidies broadly serving the Kitsune Empire and the People's Republic in the Home Galaxy and the Xenohuman Federation and the Sen System Alliance in the Milky Way respectively. Green Star Line is known for its diversity, where one ship might be family-friendly and traditionally tourist sight-seeing another may be little more than a spaceworthy carnal house, depending on origin, specification and type. Regardless of the exact nature of its operation, Green Star Line has a reputation for providing its passenger customers with quality in-house security as well as fantastic custom luxury, and its individual ship crews and staffs often compete with each other to make the best experience possible. In times of uncertainty or turmoil Green Star Line ships will often not run, but have been known to offer services in transporting or holding refugees, displaced groups and others in need, which has endeared the company to a number of nations.

Pulsar Energy Group

A premier trader in energy sources and power, the Pulsar Energy Group is responsible for a great deal of innovation in the way the Kitsune Empire handles energy consumption and distribution since the end of the Korr Wars. It was Pulsar that made matter-antimatter reaction a viable replacement for ship cores, providing power for Jaunt Drive-equipped ships to replace traditional Guilda energy crystals, and it was later Pulsar that came to dominate the Phenian energy market with its new ideas and advanced technology. Though large and powerful, the PEG is not as public or as brash about its operations as members of the Triad Consortium or similar companies, preferring to work quietly behind the scenes and provide a steady stream of profits to its shareholders, which has made the corporation a darling of the economic community. As much of the work that PEG does it important and even vital to the Kitsune Empire, it receives government support and protection, which may explain the company's distaste for grandstanding and pure focus on production and profits. In addition to its higher-tech operations, Pulsar also operates refineries for various types of fuel and will sometimes take over a native petroleum or natural gas company if such would prove profitable in the long run.

Eucaria Agriculture Farms

Though viable farm and ranching land is nearly non-existent in the Kitsune Empire, there is enough demand for "real" food, including natural plants and animals, to fund a corporation dedicated to it. Operating as a near-monopoly to service the tastes of the rich, powerful and eccentric, Eucaria Agriculture Farms runs almost all of the few natural farms and ranches left in the Kitsune Empire, as well as a number of such sites outside of it where such is more viable. EAF's claim to fame is that all of its products actually live as unique individuals before they are made into food, as opposed to the cloned, vat-grown substances common today as food in the Kitsune Empire, which nets it substantial business from those who cannot, or refuse to, eat synthetic, cloned and processed food. Perhaps unsurprisingly, EAF is a major employer of foreigners in the Kitsune Empire, since farming and ranching is a long-lost art among Xiscapians, and as the company caters chiefly to the wealthy there is a lot of money to be made in it. EAF also services the people of other nations, though to a more limited degree as its reach does not extend particularly far beyond the Kitsune Empire and its immediate allies.

Exotech Growth Corporation

The primary producer of food in the Kitsune Empire, the Exotech Growth Corporation began life centuries ago as a government program to keep the expanding Xiscapian population from starving even as wartime factories began to overtake farmland. With advances in genetics, cloning, replication and the like growing by leaps and bounds, Exotech's progenitor was able to put its food factories online quickly enough to prevent a crisis, and has been providing meals for the majority of Xiscapians under various guises ever since. Exotech grows almost all of its substances in nutrient vats or synthesizes them in laboratories before packaging to be sold, resulting in mass-produced meats, greens, grains, fruits and the like that were never truly alive or viable as the lifeforms the advertisements claim. Because of this the EGC has industrialized the traditionally rustic food-growing process, with opinions on the benefit or detriment of this remaining controversial. Given that most nations have viable farms or alternatives, Exotech is mainly focused in the Kitsune Empire.

Inari Corporation

Founded and operated by a cohort of Xiscapian military advisers, the Inari Corporation provides consultants to all types of armed services, ranging from military to law enforcement to militia to mercenary groups and advises in fields of defense research, development, application and modification. These are mainly engineers, arms designers, technicians and military scientists of all kinds drawn from various AXIS military branches, who chiefly assist in the testing and prototype construction of new machinery ranging from weaponry to drones, vehicles and starships. Though Inari Corp has such specialists spread out in small numbers across the Twin Galaxies, they are concentrated particularly heavily in the Interstellar Empire of Karaig, where they have been instrumental in improving on native Karaigan designs as submitted to them by various branches of the Karaigan military. As Inari possesses no construction facilities, armed forces or real bases of its own, maintaining instead testing sites, development installations and a few mobile research laboratories, it is reliant on other companies to provide for its security, housing and the limited and mass-production of its designs. The corporation is known for having very relaxed and decentralized management, for hiring both Alumina and Avalans, who along with kitsune make up the vast majority of its employees.

Varox Pharmaceutical Corporation

One of the biggest suppliers of pharmaceuticals to both the civilians of the Kitsune Empire and the military, Varox Pharmaceutical Corporation (VPC) is responsible for many of the drugs Xiscapians regularly put into their bodies, ranging from painkillers and detoxification pills all the way to nanobot-stimulation packaged syringes ("stimpacks") and biowarfare-grade antibiotics. Varox, jointly with GeneInc, had an early victory in its post-Korr-Wars near-eradication of the Swift Sword virus and the purging of the infected of the genetic damage, which cemented it as a trusted company in the eyes of the public. It has gotten to the point where "Varox" is nearly synonymous with "medicine" in the culture of some parts of the Kitsune Empire, though VPC has not managed to establish a monopoly. Varox has the distinction of having a base of some kind in every system of the Kitsune Empire, even if it is little more than a trade outpost in an asteroid, squeezed into an orbiting station or something even more unlikely. In typical Xiscapian fashion, VPC has not stopped at the borders of the Motherland but has expanded out to other nations, inserting itself or at least attempting to do so in nearly every market that the Kitsune Empire has encountered, with varying degrees of success.

Vixen's Den

A commercial chain that got its real start servicing visiting Alversian soldiers during the closing years of the Korr Wars, the Vixen's Den was initially just a string of clubs, gambling dens, brothels and bars -sometimes all four at once- in the city of Tenfour. The destruction of the upper part of Tenfour did nothing to kill the business, or the enthusiasm of the troops who frequented the establishments as new "Dens" were set up in the rubble after the battle, and the Vixen's Den emerged from the end of the Wars as one of the largest and most profitable companies in the Kitsune Empire. With the Alversian market opening up the Vixen's Den lost no time in expanding, both spreading across the Kitsune Empire and making inroads into the People's Republic, oftentimes almost literally; for many Alversians, the first Xiscapian they ever met who wasn't a soldier or a trader was an employee at a Vixen's Den. Since then at least one Vixen's Den of some kind can be found in every system in the Kitsune Empire, and they remain very popular despite Syndicate connections, thanks to a combination of wild music, good drink and food, exotic dancers and prostitutes and an excellent reputation. Vixen's Den owners often run friendly competitions with their chief rivals, which are the Escan-heavy Butter Dog male brothels and the Alversian female-only Athena Clubs.

Ascension Cultivation Dealers

Recreational drugs have always been popular in the Kitsune Empire, but the market exploded after First Contact with the Alversians, and shipments of drugs of all kinds began leaving Xiscapian ports for Alversian ones at the behest of private investors long before the war showed signs of ending. The Ascension Cultivation Dealers rose to prominence shortly after the end of the conflict, initially specializing in tobacco and marijuana growth, packaging and selling but soon including other drugs in its array of marketable products. Today it covers the entire gauntlet of mind-altering substances, with its popular tobacco and marijuana flagship brands bolstering sales of Lysergic acid Diethylamide, psychedelic mushrooms, "safe" 5-Methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine ("foxy-methoxy"), Khat, Ecstasy, GHB and even product lines of caffeine in ACD-produced chocolates and coffee and alcohol from ACD-subsidized vineyards and distilleries. As a rule ACD does not peddle permanently addictive drugs, as this is both considered bad for business and would restrict otherwise open markets, but the corporations also markets goods intended to assist users in kicking unwanted habits. ACD is known to consort with the Syndicate, particularly in nations where its products are not welcome, where it is suspected that the company sells them on the black market with Syndicate assistance.

Rift Planetary Engineering

Formed to fix the nightmare that was Korrillia and the Xiscapian attempts to render the planet habitable again, Rift Planetary Engineering was a group of planetary scientists and macro-engineers armed with theories, Alversian terraforming equipment and a determination stemming from the knowledge that if they became the umpteenth corporation to fail to reshape the planet, the company would crumble around their ears. Fortunately for everyone, after many years of effort RPE was able to turn the once blasted wasteland of Korrillia into a livable place again, and that feat put the company at the forefront of the Xiscapian terraforming business, which up until that point was largely based on experimentation without any terraformed worlds to show for it. Taking the reins, Rift has become the Kitsune Empire's go-to company when it requires a terraforming operation, a role which the corporation performs happily as the projects have made their workers very rich indeed. This favored status, and the unquestioned superiority and prestige afforded to Rift as a result of their terraforming of Korrillia, means that the business is, unlike many in the Kitsune Empire, not very competitive, with RPE's largest competitors mostly focused on terraforming moons or performing minor changes to existing planets, or "landscaping" as it is called in the industry. As it has never failed a project, Rift seems likely to occupy its position of power for years to come.

Kurogasa & Company Financial

Rising out of the ashes of the Korr Wars, Kurogasa & Company Financial helped to kickstart the Xiscapian economy by providing solid infrastructure for borrowing and loans to Xiscapians eager to do everything from buy homes to make down payments on starships to pull money for bonding ceremonies. Though the Xiscapian financial scene is the usual hodgepodge of competing banks and firms, Kurogasa & Co. have distinguished themselves as discreet, highly reliable and secure; early on in the post-war period the company leveraged its weight to get a banking secrecy law passed, and ever since it has been known as a place where anyone can safely stash money with few questions asked. Kurogasa & Co. also runs a number of businesses dedicated to foreign exchange rates, ensuring that the Xiscapian Imperial Credit is accepted as legal tender in other nations and generally aimed at monitoring the health of rival, foreign financial institutions so if one ailing company is available to be purchased it can be. The titular Kurogasa is a reclusive kitsune who does not like to be in the public eye, though shi is known to have met with the Emperor and other senior Xiscapian officials on several occasions. Almost uniquely among Xiscapian corporations, Kurogasa & Co. does not rely on any of the established private security firms, but instead hires its own in-house security.

Imperial News Network

Another entity that has made a deceptively seamless transition from the war days, the Imperial News Network (INN) was once simply the Xiscapian government channel that has transformed itself into a multimedia public broadcasting service. Though the company is charted by the Kitsune Imperial state, it nevertheless competes with others news organizations for readers and viewers, striving to present stories as factually as possible without bias. As per its agreement with the Xiscapian government that INN will always be the first to know of announcements and breaking stories, the network is obliged to broadcast messages, decrees and alerts from the various departments of the government on demand, a relationship that has worked well so far. INN reports on matters both domestic and foreign, and while it primarily focuses on holovid broadcasting it also has subsidies in the form of radio stations, publishing houses, holovid studios, Exonet sites and, in some areas, old-fashioned newspapers and magazines. Due to the nature of the company the INN is funded by a license fee charged to all Xiscapian households, companies and organizations with receiving equipment, and any profits it makes are invested back into the network.

Galactic Broadcasting Incorporated

A mass media company established shortly after the end of the Korr Wars, Galactic Broadcasting Incorporated was founded as a private company to balance out the INN's then-singular control over Xiscapia's airwaves and ansibles. With products including holovid channels and programming, cinema, publishing, radio, Exonet sites, game systems and more, GBI quickly cemented itself as a legitimate competitor, and the corporation was similarly swift to acquire Alversian, and later other alien, anchors, reporters, show hosts, holovid stars and the like to differentiate itself with a host of alternative people as well as alternative opinions. In general the bent of GBI's broadcasts tend to be more socially conservative and economically liberal than that of INN, though given its wide range of personnel viewpoints have been argued from communism, anarchism, greater democracy and even theocracy and their supporting theories and ideologies. Proud of its ability to get reporters anywhere, GBI has correspondents embedded across the Kitsune Empire and as far away as Avalas, Xenohumanity, Vipra and the Karaigan Altarian Galaxy, always ready to pounce on a new story. Where INN tends to be more popular on frontier worlds, GBI is better received in the interior, particularly the inner worlds in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Summit Medicinal Technologies

The company contracted by the Xiscapian Imperial Army to design the combat drug infusion systems in the branch's power armor, Summit Medicinal Technologies (SMT) has done a huge amount of work for the Xiscapian military over the years, starting during the Korr Wars and never letting up. This includes the development of the aforementioned system, designing partial and full immersion healing tanks, making the cloning of lost body parts viable, pitching a prototype salve bandage that later became standard issue for every first aid kit, inventing stasis fields almost single-handed to keep the grievously wounded alive in transit and much more. Summit is likely responsible for saving millions if not billions of lives, Xiscapian and foreign allied, through the extension of its products, and has so much influence with the Xiscapian military that it got a team with a say on the design of the Protection class Medical Frigate and the latest version of Xiscapian medic power armor. As almost all military medical technology is available to the general public, Summit is also a robust leader in the Xiscapian civilian market, and works closely with other tech groups including Implants Incorporated, Augmentations Limited, Genetics Incorporated, the Varox Pharmaceutical Corporation and many others to keep up-to-date on the newest advances and developments in health and the body. Summit Medicinal Technology laboratories and firms have spread especially quickly to Xiscapian protectorates and colonies, where its scientists are busy researching how best to care for their alien populations.

Holographic/Virtual Entertainment

The biggest entertainment company in the Kitsune Empire, Holographic/Virtual Entertainment (Holo/Vid, or simply H/V) produces holovids, projectors, emitters and ansible equipment, but specializes in game systems and Virtual Reality simulators. Its child console, the Trekatron Ultimate, competes via a subsidy with the subsidies of Galactic Broadcasting Incorporated and Stormshout Visual Arts with their consoles the Roxfox 4 and the Towercom V, respectively. H/V, however, has perfected its V.R. technology to the point that it is used in military training simulators, and to run large-scale wargames over entire cities or light-years of space between opposing Xiscapian and foreign forces, powered by an H/V produced supercomputer. Because of its chosen way of doing business H/V electronics have a reputation for being very large but very powerful, and the company itself conducts corporate affairs in a stiff, highly traditional Xiscapian manner, insofar as any of the corporations can be said to have tradition. H/V technology is standard on most Xiscapian starcraft.

Stormshout Visual Arts

Unlike its two main competitors, Galactic Broadcasting Incorporated and Holographic/Visual Entertainment, Stormshout Visual Arts is purely a gaming company with comparatively humble origins. Though it started out with its main business as the production of playing cards, and secondary attached schemes including coastal fishing, taxi services and brothel operating, Stormshout came into its own after trade was opened with the People's Republic, where its staff first came into contact with Alversian games and gaming systems; enthralled, they studied them intently before jumping into the proverbial ring themselves, producing the original Towercom console and four games at launch. Towercom and its games were a huge hit, both abroad and especially domestically, giving Stormshout the capital to produce four more versions of its beloved console up to the current model, Towercom V, and hundreds of new games with cooperation first from Alversian and Xiscapian, and later other foreign developers. Though both Holo/Vid and GBI followed shortly afterwards with their own consoles, Stormshout had, and many would argue still has, the lead in the gaming industry in the Kitsune Empire. Titles include the its flagship Flying Fox platformer line, the addictive Chain Warrior adventure series, the famed Brilliant Orange action trilogy, the hugely successful Super Sensual Slaughter Simulator and the game Blast Wars.

D20 International

A traditional gaming company that has grown steadily over several decades, D20 International, usually known as just D20, has been one of the most successful Xiscapian companies in penetrating foreign markets and profitably advertising its wares. With a history of quality products, extensive community support for players and inexpensive basic games, D20 has a fanbase consisting of billions of players in millions of groups across the Twin Galaxies, and the annual tournaments it hosts are a major draw to whatever city is selected for the convention. Though D20 produces holographic board games, trading cards and several online MMORPG games, its big draw is its virtual-scape, and sometimes even pen-and-paper, roleplaying games, which are popular among teenagers and young adults in more than a dozen nations. D20's unexpected domination of an unanticipated market, and a loyal fanbase, means that it is unlikely to be unseated from its position anytime soon. The corporation has released a large number of games and accessories, including the survival-horror game The Quick and the Dead, a star-mercenaries game called Big Iron, a fantasy game titled Our Fall, a combat war-game series known as Nova's Wrath and the company's principle game, Isotopes & Infected.

Spire Academic Publishing

Of great repute, the Spire Academic Publishing company is officially endorsed by the Xiscapian Scientific Advisory Board and is the source of many of the papers, journals, articles and studies put into circulation by a variety of government, corporate, organized and independent scientists. Spire was started to give the exploding research groups and teams across post-war Xiscapia a reliable, respectable medium through which they could publish their findings and have it reviewed by their peers. Naturally, SAP has a strong presence in the People's Republic, where it often brings related subjects and doctors together, and it is widely considered a beneficial and helpful tool by AXIS scientists in general. The famed Doctor Ginta, as well as Doctor Ippolito, Doctor Hiromi, Professor Seera and others vouch for the pieces published by SAP as credible and useful contributions to the scientific community. In many cases foreign researchers wishing to publish a study in the Kitsune Empire must go through Spire Academic Publishing if they wish to be taken seriously.

Nobel Publishing House

With operations on more than a dozen worlds across the Kitsune Empire, the Nobel Publishing House is responsible for a great deal of the Xiscapian literature currently in existence. Some estimates put NPH's rates at one quarter of all published Xiscapian works. This may be in part because of the House's incredible diversity when it comes to publishing, and its many subsidies that allow it to focus on many different fields at once, ranging from novels to pornography to technical manuals to comics, allowing it to wield extreme power in deciding what does and does not get published. In addition to publishing, Nobel also runs a number of printing facilities and book stores, and is known to donate to public libraries and contribute to private ones, which some say is simply because of the founder's sheer love of books. However great a bibliophile the starter may be, however, Nobel is a very profitable company and seems set to remain that way for decades to come.

[Xiscapia]

Xiscapian trade is conducted by the Xiscapian Merchant Marine, comprising of civilian-owned ships operated by either commercial businesses or the Imperial government. These craft are responsible for the transport of goods and passengers throughout the Kitsune Empire and to foreign ports during peacetime as part of the commerce network. During wartime vessels in the appropriate areas are re-designated with the prefix "AXIS" (Auxiliary Xiscapian Imperial Navy) and can be called upon to deliver military troops and supplies to bases and contested areas. Despite this the Merchant Marine is not considered a uniformed part of the service, except in times of war when merchants are considered military personnel and are required to obey military law but are also eligible to receive military benefits. Merchant Marine craft vary wildly in size, role, ownership and type, but can be broadly classes in four main categories:

Bulk freighters:

Freighters:

Commissioned to carry cargo or passengers from one port to another, bulk freighters (also called merchantmen, traders or passenger ships) make up the backbone of the Xiscapian import-export economy. Generally equipped with fast FTL drives but slow sublight engines, freighters rarely possess cutting edge or even the highest quality technology in any given area, as they are designed to be relatively simple to operate and easy to maintain and repair. Aside from the regular crew, which is usually not over one hundred persons, consisting of bridge officers, technicians, engineers, medical staff, security guards and clerks, freighters are generally occupied by hundreds if not thousands of automations of various kinds, including repair drones, cargo haulers, nanobots, A.I. and battle droids, all of which run the ship on a day-to-day basis. Freighters come in three general types: Light, Medium, and Heavy, or the Hapkido, Dojo and Kaga classes. After the Korr Wars traders were rarely armed, as doing so was usually expensive and thusly seen as excessive, but during the Danaversian War it was mandated that all freighters carry a self-defense system of some kind, with subsidies to pay for it from the government. Sometimes freighters are requisitioned, heavily armed and pressed into service as Auxiliary Xiscapian Imperial Starships (AXIS), where they are then called armed freighters or bulk cruisers. Such ships are usually not as powerful as a dedicated warship, but they can generally hold their own in combat and can be used as escort carriers, bombardment craft, minelayers and repair ships -or all four at once, with some of the larger classes.

Hapkido class Light Freighter

Crew: 20
Length: 2,500 meters
Carrying capacity: 2 million metric tons

Dojo class Medium Freighter:

Crew: 50
Length: 5,000 meters
Carrying capacity: 5 million metric tons

Kaga class Heavy Freighter:

Crew: 100
Length: 10,000 meters
Carrying capacity: 10 million metric tons

An example of a modified, armed Hapkido class Freighter

Tramp merchants:

Superficially speaking, from ship to ship, there is no difference between bulk freighters and tramp freighters. While bulk freighters will generally stick to established routes and schedules, have specific destinations and carry predetermined loads for employers, tramp ships are the wanderers of the merchant community. Striking out on their own with hulls full of valuable miscellaneous goods, tramp merchants range far and wide through space in search of new trade ports in hopes of selling the contents of their holds and purchasing exotic goods for sale back in the Kitsune Empire. The standard deal is that the owner supplies the ship and crew while interested parties invest stocks of goods in return for a percentage of profits made from the venture. Tramp freighters will sometimes operate independently, owned solely by their captain, or in small numbers by regular shipping companies.

By their nature tramp freighters, more than any other kind, are exposed to the dangers of the wider universe including pirates, hostile aliens, natural disasters and other misfortune. Because of this tramp freighters tend to be armed, crewed by seasoned veterans, have larger security complements than most and may even have private escorts, depending on their level of insurance and the value of their cargo. Tramp freighters are a valuable national asset, however, because not only do they bring in foreign goods and open new markets, but they also give the Kitsune Empire more First Contact opportunities when the tramps end up being the first Xiscapians to meet a new people or nation. Because of this communications frequencies are constantly monitored by Kitsune Imperial Navy stations and warships listening for a distress call; despite their often remote locales and unpredictable nature tramp freighters can often count on KIN assistance against attack and bad luck. Tramp freighters tend to be of the same classes and types as other merchants.

Ultralight haulers:

A distinct departure from the massive sizes and carrying capacities of the bulk freighters, ships collectively known as "ultralight" freighters are much smaller in length and capacity. Almost always intra-system vessels, ultralight freighters usually handle city-to-city, province-to-province, planet-to-planet and instillation resupply runs, only rarely moving from one star system to the next because most lack FTL drives. Ultralight freighters also tend to haul specialized cargo that can only be transported in small amounts or is only needed in relatively few quantities at a given time, and are usually faster than bulk freighters (within the system). Because of their inconspicuousness, numbers, ease of modification and speed ultralight freighters are popular among career smugglers and those who work on the fringes of the law such as bounty hunters, mercenaries and other vagabonds. Ultralight freighters are usually unarmed and have only minimal armor and shielding; in any confrontation an ultralight would rely upon speed and the area's security forces to protect it.

Hunchback class Tug

Crew: 4
Length: 25 meters
Tug capacity: >10 million metric tons

Dragonfly class Shuttle

Crew: 1-2
Length: 25 meters
Carrying capacity: 100 metric tons or 50 passengers

Starstreak class Hauler

Crew: 2-5, depending on configuration
Length: 50 meters
Carrying capacity: 500 metric tons

Scavenger/Salvage ships:

The final and most specialized of trade craft, scrap haulers and salvage vessels are the oddities of the merchant community. The fewest in number, and often crewed by eccentric kitsune, scavenger and salvage operations got their start during the Korr Wars, when they were needed to gather battlefield wreckage for re-purposing and rebuilding efforts after combat. After the end of the Wars the salvage trade was kept busy by the exploration of old Jomstar ruins for technology and crashed starships, and later on Korrillia for the same after the planet became uninhabitable. Business was brisk whenever large-scale battles occurred, particularly at the defeat of the SASM menace in which hundreds of Pathfinder warships were destroyed by Xis-Alvo forces, creating a vast interstellar ship graveyard. However, apart from these relatively isolated incidents, the industry did not truly kick off until the start of the Danaversian War.

During this time after each battle teams of salvage ships would be waiting to come out and sweep the battlefield clear of debris and wreckage to be sold back as scrap to ship builders. In some systems and areas where extremely heavy fighting occurred, including Chalybs, Gerral and the DMZ line millions of tons of salvage were picked up by thousands of these vessels, helping the war effort repair and replace lost ships and instillations while also making a tidy profit. Many of these now experienced salvage teams were berthed aboard Miyo class Factory Ships around the time of the Ranus Offensive, bringing back raw materials and debris to be consumed by the gigantic construction and production ships. Salvage teams tend to be high in number and, perhaps counter-intuitively for craft that are dealing with ships that have already been destroyed, well protected to shield against core detonations in areas of work, extreme radiation, discharging weapons, traps and vengeful enemies. Today they can be found wherever a battle or other large-scale destructive event has occurred, faithfully clearing the way for progress.

Vixen class Mining Probe

Crew: 0
Length: 10 meters
Cargo capacity: N/A

Black Hole class Hauler

Crew: 10
Length: 50 meters
Cargo capacity: 1,000 tons of salvage

Maw class Deconstruction Ship

Crew: 100
Length: 200 meters
Carrying capacity: Ten thousand tons of salvage

[Xiscapia]

Trade relations:

Xiscapia's trade mainly consists of exports to and imports from fellow AXIS nations. Additional trade is made between other states, but volume is generally lower and their merchants and businesses tend not to be so highly favored. The Kitsune Empire does not directly trade with nations or organizations not listed here. However, merchants acting on their own initiative may enter other nations looking to buy or sell goods or services. Trade partners include:

People's Republic of Alversia
Pheonix Empire of Tanara
Republic of Setulan
Republic of the Berrax
Protectorate of Phenia
Confederacy of States
Federation of Macronia
Avalan Technocracy
Pokosian Commonwealth
Sen System Alliance
Morningstar Coalition
Tribal Union of Telros
Various Arcadian states
Acerian Federation
Classi Republic
Nomadic Fleets of Greywatch
Commonwealth of Kostemetsia
Empire of Kiruri
Cultural Collective of Myenya
Confederacy of Arch Planets
Empire of Sertian
Empire of Japan
Armed Federation of Xenohumanity
Empire of Karaig
The Transient Fleet
Star Empire of Huerdae
United States of Allanea
Imperial Dominion of Necrisis
Federation of Novus Limes
Protectorate of Polaris

[Xiscapia]

Major Imports: Weapons technology, computer systems, starships, starship components, medical equipment and supplies, miscellaneous manufactured articles, foodstuffs.

Major Exports: Raw and refined ore, precious metals, gems, electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, starships, computers and computer parts, transport equipment, miscellaneous manufactured articles, foodstuffs, general industrial machinery and equipment, professional scientific and control instruments and apparatus, telecommunication and sound recording and reproduction apparatus and equipment, organic chemicals, Guilda energy crystals, katana swords.

Link

Color-codes indicate the levels of Imports or Exports for a product. Each product will have two color codes, one for Exports and one for Imports.
None - There is no demand for this item, importing this item will be nearly impossible.
Very Low - There is very little demand for import of this item. While deals can be made, the seller is at a severe disadvantage.
Low - There is a marginally increased demand for this item, however most imports will be either one-time deals, or very low volume deals.
Moderate - There is a fairly steady demand for this item. Merchants can be fairly confident in trying to import this item.
High - This item is in nearly constant, heavy demand. Any merchant attempting to import this item can make good profit.

These two tags are optional.
Illegal/Banned - This indicates this product or service is banned from imports/exports, and may be illegal in this nation. Illegal or banned items may still have a local demand, but smugglers may face penalties if caught.
Permit Required - This indicates trade of this product is regulated, and requires a permit from the local government. Trade without a permit is deemed illegal, and smugglers may face penalties if caught.

Key: Item – Import Rating (Demand) - Export Rating (Output) – Illegal (Optional) – Permits (Optional) – Notes

Raw Materials

• Metallic Elements - Very Low - High
• Mineral Elements - Very Low - High
• Rare Earth Elements - Very Low - Moderate
• Gaseous Elements - Very Low - Moderate
• Metallic Compounds - Very Low - High
• Mineral Compounds - Very Low - High
• Rare Earth Compounds - Very Low - Moderate
• Gaseous Compounds - Very Low - Moderate
• Non-Edible Plants - None - Very Low
• Radioactives - Low - Moderate
• Gems & Stones - Very Low - High
• Waste Materials - None - Very Low
• Exotic Matter (Monopoles) - Moderate - Low - Permit Required
• Exotic Matter (Antimatter) - None - High - Permit Required
• Exotic Matter (Neutronium) - Moderate - Low - Permit Required
• Exotic Matter (Dilithium) - Moderate - Low - Permit Required

Processed Materials

• Industrial Alloys - None - High
• High-Temperature Alloys - None - High
• Electromagnetic & Magnetic Materials - None - High
• Specialized Crystals - Low - High
• Polymers & Plastics - Low - High
• Plant-based Fibers & Materials - Moderate - Very Low
• Semiconductors & Superconductors - Very Low - High
• Metamaterials - Moderate - High
• Petrochemicals (Coal, Oil, etc) - None - Very Low
• Fertilizers - None - None
• Scrap Metals - Moderate - Moderate
• Fusion Fuels - Very Low - Moderate - Permit Required
• High-Energy Plasma (Stored) - High - Moderate - Permit Required
• Explosives - Very Low - Moderate - Permit Required

Manufactured Goods

• Electronic Computing Components - Very Low - High
• Optical Computing Components - Very Low - High
• Molecular Computing Components - Very Low - High
• Consumer Devices (Computers, PDAs & Similar) - Moderate - Moderate
• Household Goods - Moderate - Low
• Construction Eqipment - Low - High
• Fabrication Equipment (Replicators) - Very Low - High
• Fabrication Equipment (Nanofacs) - Very Low - High
• Fabrication Equipment (Industrial Robots) - Very Low - High - Permit Required
• Mining Equipment - None - High - Permit Required
• Agricultural Equipment - None - Very Low
• Gravitic Equipment - High - Moderate Permit Required
• Starship Hulls - Low - Moderate Permit Required
• Starship Drives - Very Low - Very Low Permit Required
• Starship Powerplants - Very Low - Moderate Permit Required
• Starship Weapons - Moderate - Moderate Permit Required
• Starship Defenses - Very Low - Low Permit Required
• Misc Starship Components (Hull Plates, Spare Parts, etc) - Moderate - High Permit Required

Consumables

• Meat-based Foodstuffs - High - Low - Permit Required
• Plant-based Foodstuffs - Moderate - Low - Permit Required
• Live Animals - None - None
• Water - None - Very Low
• Atmosphere Mixtures (Breathable Air) - Moderate - Moderate

Novelties & Luxuries

• Intoxicants (Booze & Similar) - High - High - Permit Required
• Luxury Food & Drink (Expensive but not rare) - High - Very Low - Permit Required
• Exotic Food & Drink (Rare) - High - Moderate - Permit Required
• Rare Spices - High - High - Permit Required
• Clothing & Fashion - Moderate - Moderate
• Historical Artifacts - Very Low - Illegal/Banned - Exporting Xiscapian Historical Artifacts is illegal.
• Religious Artifacts - Very Low - Illegal/Banned - Exporting Xiscapian Religious Artifacts is illegal.
• Non-Interactive Entertainment (Movies, Tri-Vids, Holo-vids) - High - High
• Interactive Entertainment (Video Games, Hologames, VR Sims) - High - High
• Creative Art (Sculpture, Paintings, Etc) - High - High
• Recorded Performance Art (Music, Plays, Etc) - High - Moderate

Medical & Pharmaceutrical

• Narcotics - High - High - Permit Required
• Basic Medicines (Antibiotics, Antivirals, etc) - Low - High - Permit Required
• Medical Supplies (Bandages, Splints, etc) - Low - Moderate - Permit Required
• Blood & Plasma (Synthetic & Real) - High - High - Permit Required
• Longevity Treatments - Very Low - Very Low - Permit Required
• Medical Nanotech - Moderate - High - Permit Required
• Medical Equipment (Scanners, Surgical Gear, etc) - Moderate - High - Permit Required
• Cloning Equipment - Very Low - High - Permit Required
• Medical Cloning (Whole Clones) - None - High - Permit Required
• Medical Cloning (Tissues/Organs) - Very Low - High - Permit Required
• Augmentation Equipment - High - High - Permit Required
• Implants & Augmentations (Cyberware & Bionics) - High - High - Permit Required
• Implants & Augmentations (Genetics & Biotech) - Moderate - Moderate - Permit Required
• Implants & Augmentations (Nanomods) - Low - High - Permit Required

Information

• Research Data - High - Moderate Permit Required
• Starcharts - High - Low
• Civil Intelligence - High - Low
• Military Intelligence - High - Permit Required - Illegal/Banned - Sale of Xiscapian military intelligence is a treasonous offence and is thusly illegal.
• Journalism (News Services) - Moderate - Moderate
• Information Services (Trade Periodicals, Scientific Journals, etc) - High

Services

• Research & Development - High - High - Permit Required
• Starship Design - Low - Moderate
• Starship Construction - Moderate - High - Permit Required
• Mercenary Contracting - Very Low - High - Permit Required
• Augmentation Installation - Low - Moderate - Permit Required
• Financial Services (Banking, Loans, etc) - Low - Moderate
• Mining Contracts - Very Low - High - The Kitsune Empire frowns on foreign companies conducting mining operations in its territory, but aggressively promotes the rights of its own corporations to mine in foreign territory. - Permit Required
• Terraforming - Very Low - Very Low - Permit Required
• Mail Delivery - None - None
• Live Performance Art (Orchestral Music, Live Shows, Etc) - High - Moderate
• Academic Education - Low - Moderate - Permit Required
• Tourism - High - High

Labor

• Paid Workers - Moderate - Moderate - Permit Required
• Indentured Workers - Illegal/Banned - It is illegal to make indenture contracts, bring indentured workers or sell indentured workers in Kitsune Imperial territory.
• Slaves (Sapient) - Illegal/Banned - It is illegal to make make, bring or sell slaves in Kitsune Imperial territory.
• Machines (Droids & Robots) - High - High - Permit Required
• Machines (AI) - Low - Very Low - Permit Required
• Clones & Bioroids (Non-Sapient) - Very Low - None - Permit Required

Military Goods

• Melee Weapons - Very Low - High Permit Required
• Light Arms (Handguns, Rifles, etc) - Moderate - High Permit Required
• Heavy Arms (Machineguns, RPGs, etc) - Very Low - High - Imported heavy weapons are for law enforcement, military or permitted PMC use only. Permit Required
• Artillery (Heavy Cannons, Mortars, etc) - Very Low - High - Imported artillery are for law enforcement, military or permitted PMC use only. Permit Required
• Body Armor (Basic Body Armor & Non-Powered Suits) - Moderate - High Permit Required
• Powered Armor (Smaller Than Mecha) - Very Low - High Permit Required
• Mecha (Large Vehicles) - Very Low - High - Imported mecha are for law enforcement, military or permitted PMC use only. Permit Required
• Armored Vehicles (Tanks, APCs, etc) - Very Low - High - Imported armored vehicles are for law enforcement, military or permitted PMC use only. Permit Required
• Munitions (Ammo, Fuel, Explosives, etc) - Very Low - High - Imported munitions are for law enforcement, military or permitted PMC use only. Permit Required

Vehicles (Manufactured & Assembled)

• Ground Craft: Consumer (Cars, Bikes, etc) - High - Low
• Ground Craft: Industrial (Tractors, Cargo Trucks, etc) - Low - High
• Ground Craft: Specialized (Trains, Emergency Vehicles, etc) - Low - High
• Water Craft: Consumer & Pleasure - High - Very Low
• Water Craft: Cargo Transport - Very Low - None
• Water Craft: Military - None - None
• Air Craft: Personal (Small Planes & Similar) - Very Low - Very Low
• Air Craft: Passenger (Airliners) - Moderate - Moderate
• Air Craft: Cargo Transport - Low - Very Low
• Starships: Smallcraft (Fighters, Shuttles, etc) - Moderate - High Permit Required
• Starships: Light Transports (Passenger, Small Cargo, etc) - Moderate - High Permit Required
• Starships: Heavy Transports (Bulk Freighters & Similar) - Very Low - High Permit Required
• Starships: Light Warships (Corvettes, Frigates, etc) - Moderate - Very Low Permit Required
• Starships: Medium Warships (Destroyers, Cruisers, etc) - Very Low - Very Low Permit Required
• Starships: Heavy Warships (Battleships, Carriers, etc) - Very Low - Very Low Permit Required

Other

• Prostitution - High - High Permit Required
• Survey/Exploration Services - Low - Moderate
• Organism Byproducts (wood, fur, etc.) - Very Low - Moderate

[Xiscapia]

Immigration:

While the Kitsune Empire is the only known kitsune state in existence, there are other nations which possess kitsune populations. Overwhelmingly, these kitsune are either immigrants from the Kitsune Empire, or at least of Xiscapian stock (in the case of Macronians). If it is an option (if he or she already has citizenship), Xiscapian immigrants often retain dual-citizenship, one with their home nation and one with the Kitsune Empire, and usually maintain close ties with friends and family within the Kitsune Empire. Integration and assimilation into new societies occurs with varying degrees of success; in some cultures kitsune are quickly brought into the fold in a generation and become fully a part of their host nations, but in other cases an "Xiscapianization" occurs in the parent culture where kitsune resist assimilation or Xiscapian culture proves dominant. The ease of acceptance or assimilation (or lack thereof) is often closely tied to the kitsune's attitude of his or her new home nation.

Nations with resident Xiscapian-born populations, students, guest workers and tourists:

People's Republic of Alversia
Pheonix Empire of Tanara
Republic of Setulan
Republic of the Berrax
Protectorate of Phenia
Confederacy of States
Federation of Macronia
Avalan Technocracy
Sen System Alliance
Various Arcadian states
Acerian Federation
Classi Republic
Empire of Kiruri
Cultural Collective of Myenya
Armed Federation of Xenohumanity
The Transient Fleet
Star Empire of Huerdae
Empire of Karaig

Nations with kitsune not of Xiscapian stock:

Sen System Alliance

[Xiscapia]

Criminal Groups:

The True Confederacy

Founded after the Coalition invasion of the Boolean Confederacy during the Danaversian War, the True Confederacy was originally made up of Boolean extremists from individual Boolean governments that capitulated to the Coalition advance. The stated goal of the organization was to fight the Coalition until the Confederacy was restored as a powerful state again. As losses mounted and the Coalition solidified control over Boolean worlds the True Confederacy weakened until it was a shadow of its former self before being all but eradicated during the Great Purge. Today many Boolean pirates identify with the True Confederacy but few if any actually support its objective of a restored Boolean state, using the name as a banner to join under for raids and rally support rather than declare allegiance to a cause. Despite this the True Confederacy still attracts militant and nationalistic Booleans from their worlds who come expecting a proper rebel movement, perhaps the only factor that bolsters their numbers.

Though the True Confederacy was formed to fight the Coalition, only a small number of its members have any training or military hardware. A handful of old Boolean warships and plasma weapons exist in the hands of the raiders, but most use hijacked armed civilian ships and stolen weapons. Very few large craft, warships or otherwise, are known to be in the possession of the group, as its members generally like to preform small, fast raids that can be accomplished before the authorities arrive. Because of their disorganization, lack of proper training, the poor quality of the bulk of their technology and dearth of competent leaders the True Confederacy is more a nuisance than a true threat to commerce and the military. True Confederacy pirates are often the first opponents that green KIN officers and young Imperial Marines cut their teeth on; the entire group is estimated to have about one hundred craft and eight hundred members.

A True Confederacy Corvette
A Boolean Warlord
The symbol of the True Confederacy

Black Claw Pirates

One of the largest known pirate groups, the operations of the Black Claw Pirates span two galaxies and are estimated to include hundreds of thousands of members, hundreds of craft and dozens of asteroids, lunar bases and planetary hideouts. Thought to have their origins from around the time of the end of the Korr Wars, the Black Claw Pirates got their start in various races who left a myriad of nations for an equal number of reasons ranging from escaping law enforcement to fleeing persecution and came together to protect and support each other. In forming their nation they turned to raiding, and success multiplied their numbers and firepower exponentially until vagabonds and refugees of all kinds began seeking out the Black Claw Pirates to join them and gain their protection, wealth and power. As such they are committed to a lifestyle of taking and consuming or selling illegally, often operating their own black and underground markets and dealing with smugglers and slavers. Unsurprisingly, the Black Claw Pirates have no single leader, but rather a large, loose confederacy of raider captains, black market merchants and slaver chiefs who coordinate for security and profit.

The largest and most well-known method of profit for the Black Claw Pirates comes from attacking targets laden with goods, technology and supplies and using or selling what they capture; traditional piracy. Like any good criminal group, they also have a plethora of other money-making schemes, including but not limited to the production and sale of narcotics, the keeping and sale of slaves, the trading of stolen and illegal goods (particularly weapons), hiring out ships and men as mercenaries and the operation of dens of vice such as gladiatorial rings, gambling houses and brothels. In some places the Black Claw Pirates have hollowed out asteroids hundreds of kilometers across for their anarchic bases or created entire lawless cities to support their own system of commerce. When necessary or profitable the Black Claw Pirates have been known to work with other criminals and even those governments that tolerate them, and their networks of intelligence and information are very sophisticated for violent non-state actors. This allows them to stage their attacks with a degree of success not seen by lesser pirate groups.

Technologically the Black Claw Pirates are diverse, bearing everything from ancient bladed edges and black powder firearms to advanced energy weapons and high explosives. Training and experience are likewise across the board, with some amounting to nothing more than brutish goons while others are comparable to professional soldiers and are therefore extremely dangerous to merchant crews. Though their vessels are likewise a mixture, it has been noted that the Black Claw Pirates seem to favor capturing massive superfreighters and modifying them to fit large, capital-killing weapons to deter and deflect attack by national star forces; these converted merchantmen also often serve as mobile bases, housing potentially tens of thousands of pirates. Fighters are also in use by the brigands, who deploy them for pinpoint strikes on the engines and other hardpoints of traders or for scouting and reconnaissance before entering a system proper. Because of their size and power the Black Claw Pirates can be a significant threat to any convoy or lone warship, and have the potential to overwhelm small planetary governments with a coordinated assault.

A Black Claw corvette
Black Claw Pirate
Symbol of the Black Claw pirates

The Outcasts

After the fall of the Intergalactic Empire of Greal most of its surviving military commanders, recognizing the death of their nation, gave orders for their troops and equipment to be turned over to Coalition forces for use against the Ternion menace. A few hardliner officers disobeyed however, and fled with warships, supplies and loyal troops, units ranging from single squads to entire task forces going rogue and disappearing into deep space in both the Home Galaxy and the Milky Way. As a large if usually uncoordinated, well-trained and equipped former military force the Outcasts have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition and AXIS, with activities stretching from Macronia to Vekis involving everything from assassination attempts and supporting rebellions to full-scale invasion efforts. While most of the bases and warships of the Outcasts in the Home Galaxy were destroyed during the Great Purge, a few lone craft still exist as marauders in the more isolated regions of the galaxy. Most of the Outcasts are located in the Milky Way, about three hundred ships/twenty thousand men strong, where it is easier for them to hide from AXIS forces and attempt to rebuild their shattered empire.

As expected of former Greali units, most Outcast personnel use Greali technology, including energy weapons, combat drones and light warships. Stormtrooper armor is still favored for their regulars, though elites are known to equip themselves with power armor and those not so well off may wear only utility hardsuits. Given a lack of access to production methods for food, fuel, ordinance and other supplies, Outcasts will raid and hijack to keep their stores filled but are also known to contract out as mercenary forces to less discriminating factions and will dock at any free port that will accept them. However, the exact purpose and condition of Outcast forces varies widely, as some are under the command of strict veteran officers who enforce military discipline and seek to reestablish the old state while others are little more than uniformed thugs trying to survive in the void. Given their origins, the Outcasts rarely accept new members who are not of Greali stock and never join with non-humans.

Outcast frigate
Outcast soldier
Outcast base

Cryard Services Solutions (CSS)

A young corporation, Cryard Services Solutions (CSS) operates and certifies starships and mercenaries to act as privateers and security forces for both national and private interests. As the company was founded and based in the Pentastar Alignment, its operations are dominated by government contracts and assignments, as the Alignment Navy utilizes the CSS as a legitimate front through which to hire pirates to do their dirty work. Most of the time the CSS contacts established independent raiders and pirate groups and offers them port in corporate shipyards and commission money to attack vessels belonging to certain factions, though it also sometimes takes operating Alignment personnel and outfits them with pirate gear to perform false-flag operations. CSS-sponsored vessels have proven to be a danger to AXIS merchants in the Milky Way, particularly in and around Setulanite space, where they have been known to operate in cooperation with Clak-Tok remnants. As pirates supported by the CSS are almost always based out of Alignment territory it is difficult to stop them at the source, as a full-scale assault would mean declaring war on the PA.

Though the CSS hires a range of pirates, many of its contractors are home-grown and often trained by the corporation itself. As such they are usually equipped with Alignment technology and craft, which is common enough in the Milky Way to avoid arousing suspicion. CSS operators favor light, fast pickets like modified IPV-1 craft and heavier armed Interceptor class frigates as well as Cloakshape fighters. Unlike most pirates CSS raiders are generally only interested in the cargo and ship of their prey, often letting go of the crew in escape pods, though it is not unknown for them to capture merchants and sell them to the Alignment. Because of the protection offered by the Alignment CSS contractors rarely maintain bases of operations outside PA space.

Interceptor class Frigate of the type commonly used by CSS raiders
CSS mercenary
CSS logo

Terrorist Organizations:

Tigarius Liberation Front (TLF)

Midway through the Danaversian War the Kitsune Empire invaded the Bronze Tiger Empire, sweeping aside the technologically inferior defenders and conquering the capital of Tigarius while liberating the Tigarius-occupied world of Polaris. Though the old Tigarian military and government was either entirely destroyed or reformed into a native defense militia by the Xiscapians , diehard Tigarian nationalists refused to abdicate their positions and started the Tigarius Liberation Front, or TLF. The Xiscapians are committed to exterminating the TLF while the Front itself is determined to force those they see as oppressors off their world. Seeking to achieve its goals of an independent Tigarius through terrorism, the TLF is mostly active on Tigarius itself but have spread to other systems and worlds, most notably Polaris and Arel. As the Xiscapian government refuses to negotiate with the TLF and actively employs the Tigarius militia to hunt down and destroy its members, the conflict has turned bitter and shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

Coming from where they do, the TLF is technologically unsophisticated and possesses no known starships or other exo assets. Though relatively few in number, the organization has fanaticism and a hydra-like rank structure that makes it difficult to defeat, with new leaders ready to step in as soon as the last is captured or killed. The TLF has been involved in a number of shootings and assassination attempts on Xiscapian officials and officers, but its preferred method of terror is bombings, which come with the benefit of a lower chance of being shot down by an armed and watchful populace. Though its members tend to be poorly armed and minimally trained, they are suicidally brave and are hard to track as humans within a human-majority population. In recent times the Xiscapian government has hired mercenaries to commit to counter-terrorism operation in place of its regulars as it attempts to lift the large contingent of troops needed to occupy and secure Tigarius.

TLF insurgent
TLF heavy
Rebel TLF leader

Sons of Arel

Supporters of a theocracy decades in the making, the Sons of Arel are a religiously motivated group of human and alien extremists fighting on Arel in the name of a god of war. When the planet was still controlled by the Republic they fought Republic forces by religious mandate, and now they assail the Xiscapians for the same reason. Far from unique, on Arel the Sons are simply the largest and most powerful militia of extremists in a society full of religious schisms and competing denominations, and their infighting is what keeps them from erecting a stable government with the ability to combat exterior forces like the Kitsune Empire. Warlords of the Sons are also constantly plotting against each other as well, creating further political upheavals that can turn the group against itself. Despite this they remain a dangerous force in the Republica sector of space, often employing psychics in their attacks.

It was the Sons of Arel who taught members of the TLF means and methods of making and rigging bombs. The Sons favor suicide attacks, as they believe the greatest honor is to die in battle and that their reward will be given to them in the afterlife, where all those they killed will be their slaves. Better equipped and more experienced than the TLF, the Sons are prevented from gaining a great deal of traction by the myriad forces working against them, including Kitsune Imperial troops, Xiscapian-backed militias, corporate mercenaries, competing religious groups and their own constantly changing leaders. Perhaps ironically it is cultural influence that is defeating the Sons, as more Arelians turn away from religion and dogma and towards self-reliance and the state to provide for them, leading to more people resisting and fighting them and their ilk. Though the Sons of Arel are still powerful and show signs of attempting to spread, they are in decline and with effort may eventually become a non-issue on Arel.

Daughter of Arel bezerker
SoA Cultist
SoA leader-priest

Shadow Cell

Taking part of the name of the old Zillar rulers, the Shadow Cell is a Zillar-exclusive group of terrorists who desire to resurrect the old, powerful Zillar Republic. Though the new Zillar Stratocracy does not claim to support Shadow Cell, it is likely that the organization receives covert assistance from the government, including but not limited to intelligence, arms and transport. Shadow Cell is most active on Inritus, a Zillar world annexed into the Kitsune Empire during the Danaversian War, but Shadow Cell members have been found as far away as Chalybs. Operations include attacks against all AXIS members but are most commonly staged against the Kitsune Empire and the Zillar protectorate government on Inritus. Fortunately the galactic gulf has prevented Shadow Cell terrorists from entering the Home Galaxy in any significant numbers.

Though some Zillar technology has been found in possession of Shadow Cell groups, the weapons and equipment used by the organization vary widely. They often make use of Alignment technology, as the Shadow Cell is known to support the Zillar guerrillas fighting Alignment troops on Lim and often steal Alignment supply shipments there. Shadow Cell operatives have also been known to infiltrate pirate and other rebel groups simply to acquire any technology they might have, and to use them as cat's paws against the Kitsune Empire where possible. Due to its nature the Shadow Cell most often attempts assassination and sabotage, as opposed to the outright bombings of the TLF or the pure destructive whims of the Sons of Arel. Shadow Cell members are thought to largely come from the existing Zillar Stratocracy.

A Zillar Shadow Cell mercenary
Shadow Cell guerrilla
A rare example of a Shadow Cell warship

Republic Exiles

Located exclusively in the Milky Way, the Republic Exiles are made up of former Republica military personnel and refugees who fled the Republican nation when it was invaded and annexed by the Kitsune Empire. As most of those who escaped were soldiers the Exiles in general are fanatically loyal to the ideals of the dead state and fiercely defend what little they have. Their stated mission is the reformation of the Republica government but in reality they do not have the resources or territory to do so, necessitating that they raid and steal to keep their craft going. A small number of Jedi of various ranks are known to be among the Exiles, who can through Force powers enhance and augment the abilities of the regular units and are most often the ones to direct and lead troops and craft against Kitsune Imperial assets. These supernatural Force-priests are what separates the Exiles from the similar if diametrically ideologically opposed Outcasts.

Combined, the Exiles have one of the most powerful fleets available to any outlaw group; it is thought to consist of at least two Star Destroyers, eight cruisers, twenty five frigates, forty corvettes and one thousand starfighters, with an unknown number of personal Jedi craft. Equipped with Republica technology, they favor starfighter-heavy attacks with larger warships in support and tend to strike Merchant Marine or military targets to avoid civilian casualties. Some Exiles ignore these conventions, and are theorized to have been corrupted by Jedi commanders who have fallen to the Dark Side of the Force. Hunting the Exiles has proven difficult, as it is suspected that the group has been keeping itself dispersed, been using the Force to screen its presence and berthing in the docks of neutral or outlaw systems and stations to avoid attracting attention. It is believed they are gathering strength for an eventual "liberation" attempt of the Republica home system and the former capital of Coruscant.

An Exile soldier
An Exile Dark Jedi leader
A typically damaged Exile starship

Private Military Companies (PMCs):

Executive Command Corporation (ECC/ExCom)

The largest and oldest Private Military Company (PMC) in Xiscapia, the Executive Command Corporation (commonly abbreviated to ExCom) is the premier mercenary contracting firm in the Kitsune Empire. ExCom got its start during the Korr Wars when it trained logistical personnel to supplement Xiscapian troops to free up more manpower for general operations, where its contractors performed well but rarely saw combat. After the war ended ExCom took advantage of the corporate-friendly environment to expand and provide private security to other companies, foreign and domestic. ExCom first began training and deploying combat mercenaries during the AIW war, where they were used by the Xiscapian government to protect Berrax civilians from the Greali, receiving excellent reports from Xiscapian military officers and Berrax alike. ExCom would be further contracted to provide personnel and troops during the Xis-Alvo-Greali war and the colonization of Chalybs, but received their first true test during the Danaversian War, where a large contingent of ExCom contractors were dispatched to fight behind and alongside Xiscapian regulars in the pacification of Tigerius. By all accounts ExCom passed with flying colors.

Since the end of the war ExCom has grown to provide every service that a professional military does; infantry, mechanized, armored, aerial, starship, special forces, logistical, transport support and more. In addition to selling corporate security forces and standard paramilitary units ExCom also trains individual contractors, law enforcement officers and civilians, has a pirate hunting, survey and reconnaissance branch and produces its own line of body and power armor. ExCom's various services are available to foreign nations and organizations with the oversight of the Imperial government. Within its ranks of combat personnel ExCom is actually more diverse than the regular Xiscapian military, employing kitsune as well as aliens, a byproduct of being more accepting of different methods of fighting, not to mention more generous salaries and benefits. Most Xiscapian worlds have at least one major ExCom facility stationed on them, which adds to the native defense as ExCom forces are obliged to assist the Kitsune Imperial Military on request.

An ExCom elite
ExCom regulars.
ExCom logo

Raven's Blood Privateers

The Raven's Blood Privateers were formed out of two ex-slaves from the Commonwealth of Malcastrineze, a stolen warship and ambition. A kitsune gunner and a Abhuman hacker cleared out the Malcastrineze tender they had been stationed on and escaped with it into Berrax space, where they eventually joined a PMC that assisted the Berrax military in hunting pirates and Malcastrineze raiders. After gaining several years of experience the slaves, with a crew, upgraded ship and spare credits, broke off to operate freelance and, receiving a Letter of Marquee from the Berrax government, formed their own privateer group to carry out a campaign against the Malcastrineze. Raven's Blood is credited with being one of the major contributors to the ultimate failure of the Malcastrineze empire and were involved in Setulanite operations against the Commonwealth during the Danaversian War as well as raids against Saurisia, which was what netted the group the immense profits needed for most of the original members to retire comfortably or make their own outfits. Though the founders have retired to enjoy the wealth and fame generated by their activities the Raven's Blood privateers are still active and respected.

Operating on both sides of the galactic gulf, Raven's Blood is perhaps the most well-known for being one of the few non-state actors that operates a supercapital warship. The group stole the Executor class Super Star Destroyer Obligatory Firefight from the hangers of a rival organization and uses it as a mobile base and market, ensuring their independence from all other groups as most military forces are reluctant to enter combat with any supercapital warship, particularly one run by the experienced and technologically advanced Raven's Blood. Apart from the Obligatory Firefight Raven's Blood has anywhere between twelve and one hundred vessels operating under its banner at any given time, crewed by 10-100,000 privateers. Though their forte is raiding, Raven's Blood has also contracted out in the past to provide escorts for convoys and security for space stations. The privateers generally operate under a Letter of Marquee from the Kitsune Empire.

A group of Raven's Blood privateers
Raven's Blood corvette
Raven's Blood insignia

Crimson Guard

With the advent of the Rebellion and the sharp increase of attacks on Xiscapians of importance by terrorists, pirates and other opportunists, it was clear that someone needed to provide personalized protection. An ex-Imperial Marine teamed up with a former Alversian Democratic Guard to create the Crimson Guard, an organization that sells the services of elite bodyguards to VIPs ranging from military officers to high-level businessmen. Discretion, sacrifice and honor are the virtues all members of the Crimson Guard commit to upon hiring. Once accepted members are put through a rigorous training period until they are confirmed certified, at which point they are available to be hired. To date no person under the protection of the Crimson Guard has ever been seriously harmed.

The Crimson Guard is a racially inclusive PMC, employing a selection of races from across AXIS. When their guards are employed they come in a highly-visible distinctive scarlet armor for profile missions and plains clothes operatives for more discreet missions. For longer-term assignments Guards are even assigned as spouses, mates, escorts and other close persons to their charges. They tend to be armed with easily concealed weapons and rely more on their security setup and adaptability than heavy firepower. About two hundred fully trained and certified Guards exist.

Crimson Guard transport
Undercover Crimson Guard
Crimson Guard logo

Val's Vixens

Founded at the end of the Danaversian War by a kitsune female Ascian named Valarie, Val's Vixens is one of the stranger PMCs in the Kitsune Empire. Operated and staffed entirely by females of various species, it got its start with a handful of ex-military vixens (kitsune females) who banded together to create their own mercenary group. Over time it has grown into a well-known and powerful force that provides for both standard operations and contractors such as battlefield infantry, security and logistics as well as more esoteric and exotic units including underwater demolitions, cyberspace slicing and biohazard hunting. Its operators are noted for their beauty, non-standard unregulated uniforms and inclination for homosexual relationships, which they use to their advantage. Indeed, the elite members of Val's Vixens are known as the Sapphics, while its main ground unit is called the Thebes Brigade and its space arm named itself the Succubus Fleet.

Though its standards are some of the highest set by any PMC in the Home Galaxy, Val's Vixens are very popular among applicants as well as clients, drawing many from places like Alumi, Neo Kirisubi and Hilda Rein. Its aerial group, part of the Succubus Fleet, is particularly noted for its effectiveness, operating transports and gunships as well as fighters and bombers of various types. Val's Vixens contains about ten thousand members, roughly half of whom are standard infantry in the Thebes Brigade and twenty five percent comprise the Succubus Fleet. The other quarter are split into various special operations groups that may consist of only a single operator and her support team to small platoons of troopers. Most of Val's Vixens tend to be kitsune or Alumina, though humans are also strongly represented in the ranks.

A Val's Vixens member
Val's Vixens sniper
Val's Vixens logo

Griffon's Company

Ruthless, cold-blooded and amoral; all of these are words used to describe the beings who work under the banner of Griffon's Company. As mercenaries who work for the highest bidder, no questions asked, Griffon's Company troops will do almost anything for the right price, always seeking to escape the usual Xiscapian oversight in doing so. The man who the unit is named after, Griffon, is rumored to be a Ferran war criminal who escaped his nation's downfall, but these claims have never been proven, as Griffon is very illusive and almost never appears anywhere in person, preferring to do business through lackeys and droids. Whoever the head is, he appears to endorse the methods of his men, as there has never been a recorded instance of internal punishment to a contractor by the company for in-field actions. However, this is difficult to verify, as little information is known about Griffon's Company exploits in many instances.

Identifiable by distinctive black body armor with white insignia, Company troops are mostly infantry but also have mechanized and armored branches. The space section of Griffon's Company consists almost entirely of transports and escort fighters, with a handful of larger pickets and small cruisers acting as command bases and providing heavy firepower. Despite the size suggested by the name, Griffon's Company is in reality very large, with over twenty thousand contractors and hundreds of craft to its name, as well as an unknown number of subsidies which may direct and control even more soldiers-for-hire. Though Griffon's Company is most well-known for providing "pacification" "national security" "biohazard quarantine" and "depopulation" services, it also contracts out troops and vehicles for assassination, bodyguard and direct combat roles.

Griffon Company Logo
Griffon Company Trooper
Griffon Company Tank

Kitsune Gauntlet Battalion (KGB)

Fiercely loyal to the Emperor as well as the greater Imperial Family, the Kitsune Gauntlet Battalion (KGB) considers itself a private extension of the Xiscapian Imperial Military. Made up almost entirely of former Xiscapian soldiers, the KGB is an experienced but highly honorable outfit whose members have the unusual (for mercenaries) quality of beginning operations with every intention of completing their contract or dying in the attempt. Though largely male, Xiscapian and kitsune, the group does have a small minority of females, non-Xiscapians and aliens within it, particularly Setulanite mercenaries, many of whom come from the Republican Guard or the Military Police. Though it has not seen a great deal of action since its formation after the end of the Danaversian War, the KGB is one of the few contractor groups that both has the trust of the Xiscapian Imperial Military and works regularly alongside the larger Setulanite PMC Veteran's Trust. Some of its members have even been hired to help train Xiscapian forces.

Though small in size at only about one thousand members, KGB is technologically advanced, highly motivated and extremely experienced. Specializing in peacekeeping missions, its members are mostly frontline infantrymen with a small number of special operations teams. Vehicles consist of mechanized carriers and gunship transports, with some utility starships and converted freighters for interstellar travel. KGB troopers usually wear green power armor, though the color and armor itself can change between mission and role. Because of their status, they also often have access to the latest and most destructive weapons in the regular Xiscapian military arsenal.

A pair of KGB members
KGB contractors on patrol
KGB logo

[Xiscapia]

Overview:
Throughout the history of the Kitsune Empire crime was kept relatively low. Since all able-bodied citizens were called to the front lines they had little opportunity to commit crime, the instillation of honor in the society and discipline in military culture cut down on criminal tendencies and in any case they knew they were all together against the Korr, and only a fool would sabotage their chances for survival. After the war ended, however, the crime rate rose practically overnight as orphaned youth found new families in gangs, returning soldiers turned their new skills to less legitimate means and a sudden influx of wealth, trade and prosperity meant that the wealth gap widened quickly and significantly. The only war had ended, but law enforcement waged a new war on the gangs that formed in the streets, particularly in the city of Tenfour and on Kel. That all changed with the arrival of a single kitsune.

A person known only as Fatum entered the city as an unknown, but he seemed to know everything about the gangs warring over the pieces of territory across the Kitsune Empire. He brought no one with him to meetings with criminal leaders where he presented himself as a businessman interested in merging groups together into a single organized crime ring, and many of the gangsters snubbed him openly. However, Fatum had three major advantages over his opposition: his charisma and the intelligence showed in his plans swayed many to his side, his knowledge allowed him to position his followers strategically, and all of his opponents disappeared or turned up dead. Leading his own men, he swiftly gained possession of all of the territory and assets of the old gangs, ruthlessly crushing opposition and weeding out the disloyal within his own criminal empire. In a matter of a few years he lorded over a criminal empire that spanned more than a dozen star systems, comprised of hundreds of thousands of people, controlling the flow of millions of tons of legal and black market goods and taking in billions of credits. Thus, Fatum was the new Kingpin of Tenfour.

The Syndicate is the most powerful criminal empire in the Kitsune Empire, the organization accounts for ninety percent of all organized crime and half of all crime within Xiscapia. The Syndicate has its main base somewhere in the massive city of Tenfour, with several secondary bases on the moon of Kel and operations elsewhere in the Kitsune Empire, as well as multiple recruiting centers, bases of operations and smuggling routes in and around most Xiscapian protectorates. Most Xiscapian trade partners have some level of Syndicate presence in their nations, ranging from small cells (Alversia, Setulan, Kostemetsia) to a moderate group (Sennai, Avalas, the Transients) to accounting for much of the nation's organized crime (Phenia, Confederacy of States, Kiruri). Some states (Huerdae, Greywatch, Morningstar) have no Syndicate contact at all, either because of the the difficulty of gaining access to the nation or their lack of a viable black market.

Most of the Syndicate's business involves drug and weapons trafficking, running illegal gambling dens, bars and clubs from behind shell companies, information trading, blackmail and extortion, providing security for wealthy persons and companies from behind facade corporations, and prostitution in areas where it is illegal. Despite the sterling work of Xiscapian Law Enforcement the Syndicate remains in place, though it tends to operate in a rather surreptitious and low-profile manner in regularly patrolled and highly populated areas where crime would be immediately noticed and acted upon, such as most cities in the Kitsune Empire. However, the Syndicate is noted for its restraint against most regular citizens and law enforcement, harsh measures against serial killers, rapists, slavers, rival gangs and opposing criminal elements, and occasional quiet assistance with officials on certain cases which they feel threaten them. Rumors say the Emperor and the Kingpin have some kind of secret agreement of cooperation, though the Palace denies this. The Syndicate also has links to many shipping companies and private military companies.

Internal Rankings:

Oyabun (Boss)

Sitting at the head of the organization, the Oyabun has absolute control of the Syndicate and directs it in policies and doctrine. He is responsible not just for Syndicate operations in the Kitsune Empire, but in other states and organizations as well. Though the Oyabun demands absolute loyalty and obedience from his subordinates, he is expected to take care of them as well, as a father provides for his relations. In the Kitsune Empire perceptions of the Oyabun varies widely, from some regarding him as a "celebrity criminal" while others fear and despise him. A kitsune named Fatum is the the current Oyabun.

Wakagashira (Underboss)

The right-hand man of the Oyabun, the Wakagashira is the second-in-command of the organization and commands as much practical power and respect as the Boss himself. Often serving as the middleman between the Oyabun and various Shateigashira, the Wakagashira usually passes down orders and details regarding how they are to be carried out while funneling concerns and complaints up to the leader. Given his role, the Wakagashira travels considerably more than the Oyabun, often visiting Shateigashira personally and surveying system or planetary operations. If the Oyabun is the father of the Syndicate, the Wakagashira is the big brother. The identity of the current Wakagashira is not known.

Shateigashira (Lieutenant)

Mid-level management, Shateigashira head and direct the Syndicate's dealings at a system or planetary level, depending on the scope of operations in a particular area. Comparable to the Imperial Governors of the Kitsune Empire, Shateigashira exert control over possibly thousands of regular Syndicate members and potentially millions of Associates, wielding a similar amount of power in criminal affairs. As they are allowed to be semi-autonomous, Shateigashira have a great deal of freedom in exactly what kind of black markets they trade in, who they deal with and how transactions and gang wars are carried out. Because of this, the differences between the way one Syndicate unit operates to another depend largely on the Shateigashira above them. There are thought to be around three dozen of these Lieutenant-level members in the Syndicate.

Kyodai (Captain)

Officers of the Syndicate force, Kyodai are usually ground-level members who number in the dozens or hundreds in one unit, though smaller-scale operations may be headed by a single Captain. Higher level Kyodai often operate from positions of power in business such as owners of lucrative bars, casinos, clubs, arcades or similar companies, while Kyodai in lower positions may subsist entirely off their criminal activities. Some Kyodai only receive intelligence and order their Shatei to act on it, while others will take more proactive roles and lead their "soldiers" in battle or even undertake important assignments themselves. Outside of commanding Shatei, Kyodai have little in the way of direct power, though again the exact way they operate is often dictated by their Shateigashira boss. Estimates for the number of Kyodai range from forty two hundred to twenty thousand.

Shatei (Soldier)

Basic gunmen of the Syndicate, Shatei are the lowest level official members of the Syndicate. Working as bodyguards, bouncers, hitmen, lookouts and drivers, Shatei handle the organization's "dirty work" and protect its officers, assets and operations, drawing heavily from both orphaned youth, who are inducted at a young age, and former soldiers and mercenaries. Despite their station most Shatei are expected to and usually dress in style, and can be differentiated by their suits, distinctive vehicles and tendency for grinning even when the situation is not appropriate, which is part of the reason most Xiscapians regard someone who smiles too much warily. Most Shatei aspire to the higher levels of the Syndicate, but given the demands of the work few ever make it. Documentation indicates there are roughly two hundred thousand Shatei spread out across the Kitsune Empire, its protectorates and various other nations.

Associate

Not technically a part of the Syndicate, Associates are those who engage in business with the organization but remain detached from it. These include many nightlife business owners and operators, panderers, prostitutes, drug dealers, merchants and similar persons. As Associates are not obliged to follow Syndicate code their identities, roles and methods vary widely, but most are not afforded the protection of the criminal organization and therefore know little about its inner workings, usually only having contact with a few Shatei or perhaps a single Kyodai. Most Associates are foreigners where the Syndicate has infiltrated a native black market. Due to the difficulty of getting an exact definition and the understandable reluctance for most to self-identify, the number of Associates is unknown.

Associate panderer and her vixens
A stereotypical group of Shatei
Kyodai panderer
Shateigashira lieutenant

[Xiscapia]

Syndicate Vehicles:

"Mamba" VIP Car

An expensive luxury car, the Mamba is the vehicle most commonly used by Syndicate officers when traveling groundside. Fast, luxurious and well-protected, the car is very maneuverable and comes with a suite of equipment that can detect nearby law enforcement officers as well as incoming threats. Hidden armor plating, bulletproof transparent alloy, run-flat tires and a light force field generator means the Mamba can withstand an incredible amount of punishment and keep running; its defenses enable it to shrug off some types of small arms fire. Though expensive, Mambas are often also used as decoy vehicles, as their use by Syndicate VIPs can lead the enemy to chase or attack a Mamba to the exclusion of other vehicles with the protected personnel or goods inside. In a pinch they can also be used as interceptors.

"Prowler" Transport and Patrol

A symbol of the Syndicate, "Prowler" cars are the most common vehicle in the Syndicate. The workhorse and jack-of-all-trades for the organization, the Prowler combines durability and power, though it takes a skilled driver to make one particularly maneuverable. Prowlers are usually in use by Shatei on their assignments but are also issued out to Associates, though they are not usually used as getaway cars due to their mediocre speed and agility. Some Prowlers are modified to be mounted with weapons of various kinds, including topside turrets, emplacement guns and even weaponized sonic sound systems. Armor on a Prowler can sometimes be rated up to repelling .50 caliber bullets.

"Leaping Fox" Interceptor

The fastest vehicle in the Syndicate, the Leaping Fox is the principle getaway car and something of a secondary VIP transport. It is also used to chase down fleeing targets and sometimes to tail wanted vehicles. Also the quietest car, the Leaping Fox with its headlights killed may lie in wait for a passing rival criminal before its driver or passengers gun down their target and flee the area. However, speed and stealth comes at a price; the Leaping Fox is the lightest vehicle in the fleet and can be totaled by an aggressive opponent. Drivers assigned to the interceptor have to practice to masters its abilities.

"Growler" War Car

One of the most visually distinctive Syndicate cars, the Growler is a replacement for a technical pickup truck. Featuring visible armor, shuttered windows, crash webbing, portholes, headlamps and a mounted weapon, the Growler is capable of destroying law enforcement and even light military vehicles, but is usually used against other criminals, especially large targets like vans or tractor trailers. The standard version comes with a mounted K2 machine gun, but they can be fitted (rarely) with a light autocannon or even a grenade launcher. The War Cars are generally only used in specific assaults and otherwise are kept well-hidden, as they draw a great deal of attention and are not very easy or comfortable to drive. In destabilized or war-torn areas War Cars that fall into the hands of paramilitary and irregular forces are often prized for their firepower and durability at a low cost compared to regular military vehicles.

"Lodestone" Armored Transport

An obsolete Xiscapian APC used in the Korr Wars, the Lodestone Armored Transport is now used by the Syndicate after a number of the vehicles due to be scrapped fell into their hands. Heavily armored and quite large, the personnel carriers can transport up to a dozen gunmen and keep them protected from all but military-grade firepower, though they have no weapons of their own. Instead the Lodestones have firing slits from which their passengers can shoot at targets as they pass, or alternatively lift top hatches to attack from the roof. Because of their size and armor Lodestones are used to smash through roadblocks or into buildings, unloading their Shatei before beating a quick retreat. Alternatively, a few Lodestones make quite effective roadblocks themselves.

"Snarlier" Gun Truck

Another formerly Xiscapian Imperial Army vehicle, Snarlier Gun Trucks are the heaviest vehicles the Syndicate has to offer in terms of size, weight and firepower. Capable of performing the roles of both the Lodestone and the Growler, Snarliers can both deliver gunmen and use their top-mounted machine gun or autocannon to provide fire support. Only available on the most dangerous and lawless of planets, Snarlier vehicles are nevertheless kings of the urban criminal battlefield, resistant to even heavy firepower, highly stable and capable of bulling through nearly anything. It is rumored that the Gun Tracks have also been mounted with AA cannons or missile launchers, but these have never been confirmed despite the fact that the old XIA vehicles are capable of using such weapons. Snarlier Gun Trucks get their name from the sound their cannons make when firing.

[Xiscapia]

The Five
They are called the Nhing con hoang Bodominjärvi by Xiscapians, which translates loosly from Xiscapian into Galactic Commom as ’Bastards of Bodom’, or are simply referred to as ’The Five.’ While the Nhing con hoang Bodominjärvi is an ancient secret society which has been with the Xiscapians since the colony ships left Old Xiscapia thousands of years ago, The Five were only recently formed within this organization during the Danaversian War by the nephew of the Emperor, Silvertooth Rose. The Five consist of the original twin bekko Silvertooth and Nightshade Rose, nephew and neice of the Emperor respectively, and three apostles (Sir Urtiel, High Priest Maynghien and Lady Erravvi respectively). The exact identities of these apostles is not widely known, and while the Nhing con hoang Bodominjärvi are thought to have hundreds upon thousands of followers (most of those disciples who have been profiled as former priests or soldiers) the exact nature of group and the goals of the two bekko and their three partners remain a mystery. It is not known precisely where the twins reside as, though officially they live in the Imperial Palace, both, but Silvertooth especially, are highly reclusive and almost secretive about their actions.

When deployed in combat, which is always according to their own discretion, the member of The Five in question often enters a state of intense bloodlust. Exactly how and why this occurs is not known, but it almost always starts near the beginning of the battle, and does not appear to recede until either all the enemy are dead or have left the battlefield. During this time of rage the reactions of all of the members in the face of the enemy vary, ranging from ruthless efficiency to bezerker-like charging. Strange mental afflictions, feats of devastating physical strength, speed, agility and endurance, psychic, necromantic and otherwise supernatural abilities have all been reported by observers in the field and eyewitnesses from both allied and enemy sides. As far as any outsider can tell, the disciples report only to one of The Five, and the only one who has any authority over them in the universe is the Emperor himself.

[Xiscapia]

Silvertooh and Nightshade Rose (sorry, no pciture is avaliable at this time)
Age: Twenty two, both
Height: 6,1 and 5,8 respectivelly
Type: Vulpes Vulpes, both
Silvertooth and Nightshade are the son and daughter of the leaders of the False Rebellion, James Rose and the pirate queen Vila.
Children were conceived in hope for James and Vila to pass on the mantle of Chaos to heirs and to act as enforcers for them when they took over the Kitsune Empire. However, they gave birth to bekko, or twins, an extremely rare phenomenon in Xiscapians. Unfortunatly for the two, bekko are seen as being blessed by Qonn, and James and Vila wanted nothing to do with the Xiscapian god, and so handed them over to the Calaverians for a large sum of money. The bekko then spent some nineteen years changing hands, from the Calaverians as experiments to the Danaversians as slaves to wealthy criminal groups as novelties, until they were finally rescued by an Xiscapian team raiding the stronghold of Jorga the Hutt. They were then adopted by the Imperial Family. While Nightshade has adapted better to life in Xiscapia than her brother, Silvertooth retains an extreme hatred for Calaverians and Danaversians, and has destroyed planets and killed millions of people who he saw as unfit to live. Silvertooth owns the starcruiser Whispers of Remorse, while Nightshade owns the Black Raider vessel Devouring Light.
Our allegiance is not to any state, race, people or ideal; our first and only alliance is to each other.

High Priest May nghein
Age: Unknown, thought to be at least two thousand years
Height: 6,4
Type: Vulpes Vulpes
An incredibly old kitsune, May nghein was discovered during the Thirteenth Danaversian War by a Setulanite Ghost squad and a mercenary team that had been sent to rescue an Xiscapian POW from the Danaversians. The Danaversians were attempting to mine Guilda energy crystals from the planet Terracropolis (not being aware of an Xis-Alvo-N-K expedition which had already attempted this and failed, leading to widespread rumors that the world was cursed), and they landed to investigate a temple emitting radiation matching that of Guilda crystals. Once the Coalition units had tracked the Danaversians though the temple and to the center, all came under attack by May nghein and his familiars, who slaughtered the Danaversians and inflicted casualties on the Coalition. In the end May nghein removed himself from the structure as it collapsed, and was taken to Xiscapia where he was identified by the Church and declared the long-awaited leader of the Cult of Bodom. May nghein owns a frigate called the Apocolypse V.
The dead must not be disturbed.

Lady Erravvi
Age: Thought to be about one year
Height: 6,0
Type: Probably Vulpes Vulpes
Lady Erravvi is the result of a Calaverian experiment gone wrong. Completed in the days before the Thirteenth Danaversian War and the collapse of the Communist State, she was intended to be a supersoldier who would assist the Calaverians in removing the Xiscapian Overseers, but in her first minutes of life Erravvi rebelled against the destiny assinged to her and escaped the facility she had been birthed in, killing many and stealing a starship. As she wandered though space she came under the influence and teachings of the Sith for a short time, but after learning all she could the kitsune declared the Order 'flawed' and killed her master, fleeing against, this time hijacking a Star Destroyer. Since learning of her existence, various institutions, including the Imperial Intelligence Department, the Cult, the Ascians and, it is rumored, the Shadow Operations have been searching for her. Reports put her somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy, but her intentions and course are unknown.
I think, therefore, I am. I kill, therefore, I persevere.

Sir Urteil
Age: Unknown, thought to be several centuries
Height: 6,2
Type: Vulpes Vulpes
Sir Urteil is an aristocrat of good breeding and high manners. In modern society persons of nobility are keeping to themselves as they slowly die out, with little influence over the politics of the Kitsune Empire, but Urteil is the one exception. Exerting an undue amount of power and influence over the Xiscapian government, the rich kitsune is said to have his hands in just about every pie there is, including, it is rumored, Triad Corporation, the Syndicate, the Five, the Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps, the Imperial Administration and the Xiscapian Department of Armed Services, among others. A gentleman to the core, Urteil is nevertheless very arrogant, and looks down on offworlders and anyone not of aristocratic origins. Urteil is a superb duelist and almost always carries with him his rapier sword and a pair of dueling pistols, despite the fact that dueling is no longer widely practiced in the Kitsune Empire. He owns the starship Obscurantist
I am surrounded by plebeians.

[Xiscapia]

It is rumored that each of The Five own one or more armed starships and command or assisted in the formation of a Skulk, the ancient Xiscapian name for a combat battalion. The exact numbers, types and purpose of these units, if they do exist, is unknown. Rumors exist in the Milky Way and Home Galaxies of large fleets of warships that sweep into star systems and devour their resources and people, leaving nothing behind but rubble and wreckage. The description of the vessels themselves seem to match the configurations of old Xiscapian warships, and the supposed officers of these dark armadas are often told as "vulpines in black robes" but no link between these Skulks and the Xiscapians has ever been made. The Empire of Karaig is said to have battled with at least one Skulk, and there are those that believe the Armed Federation of Xenohumanity utilized the services of another Skulk to destroy a planetary state.

Nothing has ever been confirmed.

[Xiscapia]

Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps:
Diplomatic Corps Seal
Motto: "Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit."

The Xiscapian Diplomatic Corps is what would be considered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in other nations. It is responsible for the recruitment and training of Imperial diplomats and their aides, the drawing up, reading and signing of treaties, establishing embassies and making official statements to the extragalactic community and messages to specific nations, with various levels of sensitivity and corresponding encryption. The XDC also prides itself in providing excellent hospitality for visiting dignitaries and it's own members when they travel; as such responsibility for hosting foreign diplomats usually falls to them. The XDC is based in Rio Casa, at the Imperial Palace, and is always headed by a Maladict or Vanadict (male or female Chief Ambassador). The XDC's head, personnel and embassies are protected by members of the Black Guard and Xiscapian Imperial Marines, depending on location, purpose and importance; however, all Ambassadors and Ambassadresses are armed and trained in combat and will not hesitate to give or take a life if necessary.

[Xiscapia]

Ambassador Enomoto

A recent arrival to the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Enomoto first achieved fame in an unfortunate fashion; by being snubbed and ejected from a meeting with the Talythians and several other members of the galactic community on account of his race. Fortunately for Enomoto, he was taken aboard a Pokosian vessel with the Pokosian dignitary who had likewise been kicked out, thus establishing the first Xiscapian contact with the Commonwealth that was ultimately responsible for bringing the Pokosians into the Danaversian War. Due to his good relations with several venerated members of the community, Enomoto is highly respected among the Pokosian people, which went a long way towards making him the official Ambassador to them from the Kitsune Empire. In his time Enomoto has also negotiated with the Allied Governments over claims to the Akwia System, resulting in successful Xiscapian acquisition of it and its valuable resources, and has made official visits to the Remelar, Berrax and Neo Kirisuban. His personal diplomatic transport is the Black Swan.

Ambassador Vorn

One of the oldest and most respected members of the XDC, Ambassador Vorn has a long and distinguished history in creating and mending relations between the Kitsune Empire and other states. Vorn was the first member of the Diplomatic Corps under the Vanadict to meet the Alversians during the Korr Wars, and opened relations with the Phoenix Empire of Tanara, eventually taking his Celestial mate Marisol from the same. In later years Vorn has hosted and attended high-profile meetings with the Phenians, representatives from Novus Limes and the Booleans. During the Danaversian Wars Vorn was mostly tied to the Imperial Palace, but now that the war has ended he has been freed up once more to conduct diplomatic business in far-flung locales. Vorn has taken the Firebird ship Xenial as his own.

Ambassadress Tiri

Perhaps the most internationally well-known Xiscapian diplomat, Ambassadress Tiri got her start when she traveled with the colonization fleet that laid the foundation for the Chalybs colony. Its resident Ambassadress for the first few years of operation, she met with Belkan representatives to sign a non-aggression and mutual-defense pact and officials from the Zillar government to hammer out territorial boundaries. She is most acclaimed for her feats in her two official visits to Macronia, however, where she was pivotal in, among other things, preventing a war, uncovering two separate conspiracies and helping unite a people. The brown-furred kitsune also drafted and signed the treaty that ended the 72-hour War and is one of several diplomats from the Kitsune Empire to the Celestial Confederacy of Arch Planets. Her relationship with one of her Black Guards is a piece of public knowledge and subject to much discourse, as she is currently pregnant with a child. Tiri's personal craft is the Velvet Crowbar.

Ambassadress Kece

A mid-level member of the Corps, Ambassadress Kece temporarily filled in for Ambassador Vorn in representing the Kitsune Empire to the Phoenix Empire as a mere aide, which caused her official promotion to Ambassadress. Kece was thrown directly into intergalactic politics when she was appointed to head up the Overseers, a cabal of kitsune from the XDC responsible for keeping the Communist State of Calaveras accountable and in line when it was a vassal under the Kitsune Empire. Evacuated during the Danaversian War during Operation Counterrevolution that brought about the downfall of Kash Wilson, Kece came into a decidedly quieter position on Dolosus, where she met with officials from Red Talons, establishing relations with that state. Also meeting with the Sertians and opening trade with them, Kece's last significant assignment was meeting with a representative from Demigueris during Operation Zodiak to avoid war between the two nations over mineral rights in the Tigerius system. She is the nominal Ambassadress to the Sen System Alliance, and her assigned vessel is the Verheissung.

Ambassador Vulpe

Given fully-fledged membership based on recommendations from the elder diplomat Ambassador Enomoto, Ambassador Vulpe has proved his worth to the Kitsune Empire in several arenas. Opening trade and relations with the now-defunct Greywatch Empire, Vulpe was noted for his immersion in his host country's culture, which is regarded as a desirable element when one is visiting one's allies. Following this success Vulpe was sent to the Republic of Setulan and acted as the interim Governor of Phenia when a failed coup was enacted against the government there. Most recently Ambassador Vulpe was dispatched to meet with the Kirurians, a newly discovered race of kitsune-like people, and is touring their nation. His starship is the Black Dahlia.

Ambassadress Yuhara

The most junior member of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassadress Yuhara was promoted near the end of the Danaversian War in order to take up part of the workload anticipated by the organization with the political turmoil that would follow in its protectorates. Though she has been sent on several low-level assignments and made some minor trade agreements, visiting the Sar, Olacians, Tortugans and Polarians among others, Yuhara has yet to do anything significant from a national standpoint. That said, it is known that Yuhara is being groomed by the Vanadict to represent the Kitsune Empire to many of the rising and rival powers in the Milky Way, giving her a great deal of potential involvement in those affairs. In particular, should there be any meetings between AXIS and the Huerdaen Star Empire or TSAR, it is anticipated that Yuhara will be the one to go. Her cruiser is the Shinano Maru.

[Xiscapia]

Born when the first of kitsune kingdoms banded together to fight off invaders from the stars, refined through the acquisition and refinement of enemy technology, carried intact through the Exodus and hardened in the fires of war, tested in battle against dozens of opponents and brethren in blood, the Kitsune Imperial Military has formed into an large, efficient, deadly fighting force. The KIM is composed of two main parts, the Kitsune Imperial Army and the Kitsune Imperial Navy, which have subordinate paramilitary and civil subbranches in society -the Militia and Law Enforcement for the Imperial Army, Customs and the Merchant Marine for the Imperial Navy. Though the Army and Navy are obliged to work together and are seen as two parts of a whole, the Imperial Navy takes precedence over the Army and receives a greater portion of funding, though less manpower. The Imperial Navy has its own branch of infantry -the Imperial Marines- while the Imperial Army does not have a corresponding branch of atmospheric or space craft, being reliant on the Navy for such support. Despite this the Army is actually larger, in terms of administration and manpower, than the Navy, but the Navy is considered more prestigious and is usually the first arm of the Kitsune Imperial Military seen by foreigners.

In places the line is blurred, however. Imperial Marine units can and have been incorporated into the Army, and in times of crisis, under special circumstances or by a mandate from High Command Army units can take command of Navy ships and personnel. The reverse is also true with regards to the Navy. In theaters of operation the commanding naval officer is generally responsible for system, orbital and atmospheric security and dominance, while the commanding army officer is responsible for securing planetary or lunar instillations. It is not unheard of for Army units to be deployed to take enemy bases on asteroids, stations, warships and other spatial structures, but the Imperial Marines are more often utilized for this purpose because they are usually more mobile and better trained and equipped for such operations. Because of their low numbers relative to Army units it is rare for Imperial Marines to make significant landings in enemy territory, but such instances have occurred to replace Army losses, act as first-strike teams before main landings and to serve as peacekeepers in occupied territory while Army units continue the advance.

Despite their differences both branches heavily emphasize honor, discipline, loyalty and bravery in the ranks. While the severity and degree of strictness varies from officer to officer all expect a high standard of operation, with no tolerance for infighting, mutiny, corruption or selfish or lazy disobedience of orders. Kitsune Imperial officers have been perceived as being arrogant, aloof, ruthless and unforgiving in the past, while there have been allegations of a fascist ideology in the ranks of soldiers. Indeed, after centuries fighting a mostly defensive war against the Korr the Kitsune Imperial Military's doctrine has turned to one of aggression, ambition and imperialist expansion. The growth of this new attitude has not gone unnoticed in foreign circles.

At the level of the average Kitsune Imperial spacer or soldier there is a degree of standardization. All Imperial Army personnel and Marines wear standard Xiscapian power armor as their uniforms, while ship crews, logistics staff and others who do not usually come into direct contact with the enemy wear uniforms with a protective Flickinger energy harness at all times. Most Kitsune Imperial personnel also possess implants of varying types; exactly which varies from kitsune to kitsune based on their job and personal preference, but the majority are augmented for strength and have neural uplinks with their fellow crew or squad units. With the general exception of medics and medical officers, all personnel are armed with an Auxiliary Xiscapian Emergency Sidearm and a vibro-knife at a minimum; some, usually officers, also carry a katana sword, a wakizahi short sword, a tantō dagger, any combination of the three or all at once, though the full set is generally reserved for dress and ceremonial purposes. Finally, all kitsune members of the Kitsune Imperial Military personnel do of course possess average or above average kitsune senses.

During the Korr Wars the Xiscapian Military was entirely made up of kitsune, and even during the years between First Contact and most of the Danaversian War the vast majority of both Army and Navy personnel were kitsune. Only rebel militia, irregulars and a handful of standardized crews and battalions contained significant numbers of aliens. After the Danaversian War ended, and the Kitsune Empire consolidated its territory and brought liberated and conquered races into the fold, non-kitsune units began to be fielded in greater numbers, as well as intermixed with kitsune ships and troops. Though most of the military remains kitsune demographically, particularly the officer class, there are now more non-kitsune within it than ever before. Given the composition of the Xiscapian population, most aliens serving in the military are humans of one type or another.

Early in the Danaversian War one Rear Admiral Winterfire started what is known as Winterfire's Reorganization, or Winterfire's Reorganization of the Navy. Based on his critiques, observations and analysis, panels of military experts highlighted problems in the KIN made recommendations to the Admirals to remedy deficiencies and flaws in the structure, design and makeup of the Kitsune Imperial Navy. This led to the creation of more than a dozen new classes, mass integration of previously experimental technology and the commissioning of over four thousand warships by the end of the war, more than doubling the size of the KIN. In many ways the ships and personnel of the Kitsune Imperial Navy look the way they do today because of Winterfire's influence, directly or indirectly. Allies have him to thank, and foes him to blame, for a number of the Kitsune Empire's greatest victories.

In the Kitsune Imperial Navy, warships bear the prefix Xiscapian Imperial Starship, or XIS. Unlike most designs, KIN ships have their decks horizontally arranged, rather than vertically stacked, so that the "top" deck can be thought of as bow, the "bottom" deck is the stern, and the middle deck usually contains the bridge. Additionally, the design philosophy for the exterior tends to be black, steel blue or battleship gray and devoid of decoration except for the ship's name and insignia and the interior is usually cramped, cold and dim with low, narrow passages; both emphasize form over function by increasing durability and maximizing efficiency at the expense of comfort. Deck plans vary from ship to ship, and, in the case of foreign-made craft, custom-made vessels or ships designed for a specific purpose, may deviate from Xiscapian design philosophy. An example deck plan for the Marchamp class Frigate is shown below, and can be thought of as a basic example of how most KIN vessels are laid out.