THE POWERS.
The Powers.
The Powers.
THE POWERS.
The Powers.
The Powers formed from the few technology-savvy survivors that didn't evacuate FBX; Few of these were incidentally left behind, most went into hiding to stay behind and fight the Supremacy.
Their founder was Spacy Captain Johnathan PAOHERS (commonly spelt "POWERS"), a Galactic Information Bureau SOD/FI agent who, 12 years earlier as a Lieutenant, had spoken out about the dangers of trusting "irregular forces" such as "these ascension people." When the GIB put out a notice that they were looking for people interested in FBX, Commander PAOHERS offered to resign his commission to join that operation (his offer was refused, but he got the assignment). About halfway through to deployment, Commander PAOHERS promoted to Captain. PAOHER'S ancestor is a secret, even from the Powers themselves; His paternal grandfather was a T'sentraedi warrior, his maternal grandmother an Atorian, both of which would make most candidates wary, or even fearful.
Major Mathew MASTERSON: Major MASTERSON had been an Javinc Defense Forces ASF pilot during the fall of FBX. He was shot down and presumed dead; In truth he was alive and lost behind enemy lines. He survived the 15 years when Johnathan PAOHERS found him. Major MASTERSON expressed "severe dismay" at having been left behind, but joined PAOHERS to strike back at Ascension Supremacy.
Together they formed a small cell of resistance fighters, right under the nose of the drug lords. They jointly developed the Hawk Fighter and hawk Power Armor, though Major MASTERSOn was the majority partner in the development of the power armor. Particularly smart Survivors were sent to train under the Powers, who then refined their tactics based on failures of the survivors and the drug lords.
The Powers typically launch supremely small (one or two man) raids on less well protected critical infrastructure targets (power transfer stations, rail junctions and bridges, etc.) forcing Ascension Supremacy to stop advancing to repair the damage, usually resulting in Supremacy Army members being punished (often by Disengagement). However, they can and have conducted joint operations, mostly with the Survivors but occasionally with the drug lords as well, to wrest cities away from the Supremacy. In these joint operations, the Powers provide intelligence and air support, usually by striking the nearest air field first. This makes the most of their small numbers (rarely more than 12). With the Supremecy Army's air support lost, the resistance fighters have much greater leeway to operate- Many a Supremacy Army solider has died at the hands just of the people when they know the Powers have neutralized the HK/A's, never mind the much greater damage the Survivors or drug lords will do with their heavier equipment.
Unlike the Survivors or drug lords, the Powers WANT prisoners, and they'll take 'em. Most Powers don't know why, they only know that the prisoners are transfer to the power base (a semi-mythical site they know exists but have never or rarely been to). Only the CO and XO know where this place is (an island about half-way across the planet's larger ocean of Minera). Here they're handed off to GIS agents, taken off world, and questioned intensely (the use of IT-O probe droids, while strictly speaking illegal, happens every damned time).
The powers have also scored a few impressive coups, though no one knows about it (at least not on FBX itself); The poster board Ascensions Army soldier and People's Force members are, in fact, deep-cover Powers operatives, each somewhat on their own mission; They were given orders to develop their own mission parameters to strike Ascensions Supremacy "somewhere where it will really hurt, even cripple, the empire." Both have turned their eyes to the capital, one with the idea to blow up the main power plant, the other with the idea to recover historic records proving the Supremacy's illegitimacy. In the mean time, they've made "smaller" objectives," such as when an army patrol stopped along the border to heckle junkies (about 2 miles short of a river where Ascension people were attempting to escape); Or when a notorious Survivor "slipped out a back door" that nobody could find for three days (she showed him the secret door herself). He managed to make it back to friendly lines, when she "surmised" he was heading back to his roost (she'd already told him to head south and don't stop, his roost was north).
All members of the Powers train in the use of the Hawk Power Armor, and most train in the operations of the Hawk Fighter.
Where Ascension Supremacy is corrupt but large and sophisticated and the Survivors Large but unsophisticated, The Powers are sophisticated but tiny. If the Power's technology were matched to the Survivors numbers, Ascension Supremacy would fall in days- But that still wouldn't happen, since Ascension Supremacy holds millions in the pods, and neither the Survivors nor the Powers want to see those pods taken off line. Also, even if the Supremacy were defeated, the drug lords would remain, and there is a real concern they would rise out of the ashes.
Only the senior most leadership (the CO and XO) knows the GIB is secretly funding them.
General Information
Name: The Powers.
Colors: Blue On Gold.
Symbol/Crest/Banner: A circle with two square "wings" at 45 degrees of center.
Owner: The GIS.
Commanding Officer: The Power Master; The leader's title is "The Power Master," referencing both their founder, Johnathan POWER, and the fact that their leader's main consideration is managing the power plants of the Powers.
Executive Officer: The Hawk: The Executive officer is referred to as "The Hawk," referencing both their first XO, Major Mathew MATERSON, an REF Veritech pilot who's call sign was "Hawk." Major MASTERSON was the primary developer of the Hawk PA.
Tactics: Precision strikes against particularly critical infrastructure are their preferred methid; A second lesser preferred method is to provide material and air support to other groups to make large-scale strikes on Ascension Supremacy holdings; to date, the drug lords have done so a few times, but only for their own benefit, the Survivors have on a few occasions merely to injure Ascension Supremacy.
Size and Orientation:
  • Free Company (145)
    Features:
    • A: Sponsorship:
    B: Outfits:
    C: Equipment:
    D: Vehicles:
  • Secret (UGC Front), which also accounts for their "better than average" numbers.
  • Utility Outfits (5); they don't even have much for disguises when the need them.
  • Electronic Supplies and Good Gear (5)
  • Medical Clinic (20)
  • Specialty Vehicles (30); The Hawk Power Amor, Hawk fighter, and the POWERS.
    • E: Weapons:
    F: Communications:
    G: Internal Security:
    H: Permanent Bases:
  • Advanced Weaponry (20); Their limited number (in terms of types) of weapons belies the relatively powerful nature, which are all designed for one shot kill.
  • Secured Service (10); Ascension Supremacy can listen in, but it doesn't help, and can't fix their positions.
  • None (0); Who they gonna tell? There are no traitors, since the members are STRONGLY vetted; These aren't Ascension Supremacy turncoats.
  • Partial Headquarters (2); A SEAQUST-Class DSV, the POWERS, serves as their home, workshops, training facility, and etc.
    • I: Intelligence Resources:
    J: Special Budget:
    K: General Alignment:
    L: Criminal Activity:
  • Scout Detachment (5; other factions);
  • EX-filtration Network (50); Taking prisoners for integration off-world.
  • Big Bucks (45); They can GET a lot of money, but they can't actually USE any of it.

  • Scrupulous and Principled (8); Only the MOST scrupulous and principled, but don't let this fool you- They'll kill you however they have to.
  • Cyber-Doc (10)
  • Safecracker/Locksmith (25); Thy get advanced training from GIB agents.
    • M: Reputation/Credentials:
    N: Salary:
    Personnel:
  • Hunted (0); At least by FBX terms. Off world, their reputation, when it's known, is excellent.
  • None (0); They have no money TO give, and looting is discouraged since Ascension Supremacy uses that to track enemies.
    • The Powers is a very SMALL operation, with rarely more than a dozen total members.
    Their main "rank and file" comes from other groups that they co-operate with, sch as the survivors, even on occasion the drug lords.
    Weapons and equipment
    Hawk PA
    Hawk Fighter
    The Powers needed a fighter they could smuggle in consistently, yet could pass for locally manufactured; The Hawk fighter, based on an older Deivish fighter, fit the bill pretty well, and with minimum modifications they were able to convert them to submersible configuration.
    There are actually two types, though the 1 or 2 man fighter is most commonly used; A 4 man bomber version is available but only one, and the Powers don't see an opportunity to use it in the near future.

  • M-21/331 Particle Laser
    • UGS POWERS (DSV-18)
    The SEAQUEST-Class DSV is a unique breed; Designed for underwater use but with inter planetary missions in mind, they are equipped with an FTL drive and Charonina-7ΜΆ Re-entry Kit. They can launch into orbit on their own, and can transfer throughout a given galaxy on their own, but their orbit maneuvering characteristics leave much to be desired.
    Captain PAOHERS actually requested the UGS WITCHHEAD (DSV-03), since she was decommissioned but not scheduled for scrapping, but the GIS instead bought a whole new hull, the UGS PAOHERS (DSV-18), which the captain himself insisted had to be changed to the POWERS since that would reveal his heritage (he was already savvy enough to understand how FBXer's think).
    She remains submerged at all times, using the same dissolved air recovery system that others of her class do, but more so; The POWERS hasn't seen daylight in decades now. Using the POWERS the Powers are able to strike Ascension Supremacy while LOOKING LIKE they've attacked from off-world or at least very far away.
    		UGS POWERS (DSV-18).