Nations-
Name: The Grey Stars Coalition
Location: Athens Sector
Flag: WIP
Form of Govt. and Applicable Leader(s): Oligarchy of High Ministers, individual worlds operate on individual systems.
History:
The GSC was born from a coalition of human colonies set out to bring about their vision of eudaimonic societies through advanced genetic engineering and transhumanism. While many methods were pursued, eventually the social engineering ethos of Markov Geist was realized as the most immediately practical of methods in lieu of efficient matter-replication and difficulties in reliable retroviral genetic engineering. Under the principles of Markov Geist, a social ethos created by New Athens Colony that turned the social paradox of self-fullfillment for some being dependant upon the labor of a large exploited lower-class on its head. Instead of trying to eliminate the need for a unskilled and semi-skilled labor class as robotics and automation-advocates had tried for centuries, N-Athen’s solution was to develop a replacement working class in form of vatforms, genejacks, and biosynths. Combined with developments in gestalt and swarm intelligence and control by the neighboring colony of Brightling, a new mass-producible, adaptable, and obedient working class was created and the human workers of New Athens found themselves in a new society of plenty thanks to the tireless labor of the synthetics.
While moralists quarreled over the matters of whether synths had souls (it was eventually judged they did not), and whether the dream of eudaimonia was worth having it built on “neo-slavery” (the masses agreed it was), the ethos of Markov Geist and Synth production rapidly spread across the sector and was adopted en masse by the other eudaimonia-seeking colonies who adapted their own developments in social engineering, genetic engineering, industry, and automation into the principles of Markov Geist. The humans of the Athens Sector were now free to pursue self-fulfillment and satisfaction as they desired.
However the principles of Markov Geist promptly ran into problems when attempts were made to spread it further. While Athens colonies were open to neo-slavery and eudaimonia, their more capitalist and power-seeking neighbors were less than receptive to the idea and its implementation and refused envoys of “upgrades”. Furthermore, the social engineering involved in Markov Geist is fundamentally human in nature, unable to adjust for alien views and interpretations of eudaimonia, as well as the genetic engineering involved in Synths being reliant on the flexible human genome. Thus while eudaimonia rapidly developed in the Athens Sector, it did not spread outwards, and several neighbors went so far as to actively block attempts or subvert them in jealousy of their accomplishments.
Finally, the principles of Eudaimonia did not lend itself well towards natural development of heavy industry and large militaries, which caused a major rude awakening during the short Lanius-Athens war when a race of metallic entities descended upon the Athens sector in search of food such as dense urban centers made of refined industrial metals and rare elements. Despite the large sums of resources and funds raised to build militias and hire mercenaries, several worlds fell before the power of the Lanius before containment fleets could be built and armies raised, and millions died by Lanius living-metal plagues and advanced weapons or by outside powers raiding the reeling colonies to acquire their unique technology. Eventually, the bulk of the Lanius simply left the sector when they finished feeding, and the new fleets were turned to secure the borders of the sector while the colonies rebuilt.
The war changed the Athens sector. More than half of the natural born population was killed before military vatforms were developed in sufficient quality and quantity to replace human troops, and many of the core worlds had been ruined in the crossfire and from Lanius exploitation while the Athens sector realized it was surrounded by hostile foes. The military-industrial complex was not dismantled. Instead the new Grey Stars Coalition armed itself in preparation to exact vengeance on those who sought to attack it while it was weak, and to retake the fallen cradle worlds at any cost.
General Military Information:
The GSC Military is a blunt warmachine, akin to the Red Army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Large fleet formations deployed en-masse, large space-dropped army units, mass-produced weapons and vatform soldiers. While the GSCM loses something in individual initiative and innovation with its extensive use of Synth personnel directed by AI overseers and tacticians, they have little other choice due to low natural-born population and even fewer able commanders and admirals to lead such forces. The flipside is that with mass-production comes deep reserves and plenty of replacement personnel and equipment, backed by highly efficient military-industrial complexes adapted from eudaimonic technology.
Other:
The Grey Stars Coalition lacks rigid military tradition, and the training of its human admirals and commanders is uneven and heavily influences by origin world despite efforts at standardized academy training.
Whenever a Grey Stars fleet is involved, I'll be rolling on this chart to determine what kind of commander is involved.
Origin
1- Artificial
2- Academy Grad
3- Patriot
4- Political Admiral
5- Militia
6- Veteran
Personal Traits
1- Badass
2- Charismatic
3- Energetic
4- Machiavellian
5- Trusted Comrade
6- Connected
Command Traits
1- Diligent
2- Formation Micromanager
3- Fight Another Day
4- Space Trenches
5- Maskirova
6- Necromancer
7- Strategist
8- Wolf Pack
9- Refuge in Audacity
10- Blitzkrieg
11- Militia Marshal
12- Specialist in [Frigates/Cruisers/Battlecruisers/Carriers/etc]
(Must take at least one flaw. Each flaw after first allows one more command or fleet trait)
Fleet Traits
1- Prototype Flagship
2- Talented Staff
3- Big Fleet
4- Auxiliaries
5- Deep Reserves
6- Initiative
7- Well Trained
8- Space Marines
9- High Logistics Priority
10- High Tech
Personal Flaws
1- Psychological Issues
2- Berserk Button
3- Poisonous Friend
4- War Criminal
5- Hoarder
6- Honorable
7- Romantic
8- Lazy
9- Shoot the Messenger
10- Cannon Fodder
Fleet Flaws
1- Small Fleet
2- Reduced Pickets
3- Low Logistics Priority
4- Last Gen Tech
5- Reduced Capitals
6- Dissent in the Ranks
