Asterians: They Walk Among the Stars

Even before Man began its space age, there had been reports of mysterious beings and fey creatures appearing to a few individuals. Such sightings are common in the culture of all of the races that inhabit the galaxy, not just the human race. Stories abound in the entire Milky Way about abductions of single persons or entire communities, the disappearance of ships into some sectors of space, or even strange incidents where a ship has arrived to a spaceport without any crew. The most extreme cases have seen the populace of entire planets or even the personnel of military outposts and bases vanish into the ether, leaving behind only the tiniest signs of resistance. The Corporation best scientists have studied these stories on a galactic scale. Compiling this information for centuries and analyzing it, they have managed to prove the existence of an alien race using a technology so advanced that they appear to have supernatural powers. Any attempt at direct interaction with them have always led to hopeless chases, where the pursuing Corporation craft have always lost trace of their elusive quarry in regions of space near a black hole. This has led to believe that the so-called Asterians must make use of these singularities to travel across the galaxy, possibly inhabiting a different dimension on the ‘other side’. Innumerable probes have been launched into these black holes, but all of that research has been in vain, as no useful data has ever been retrieved. The mystery of the Asterians...

Forgefathers: Strength of Iron & Hearts of Fire

The ancient and proud race of the Forgefathers is the only culture that managed to retain its independence from the Corporation and trade with the evil empire on almost-even terms. This is certainly due to the technological edge they retain over their dangerous neighbors, especially in the field of space warfare. While they are fewer in numbers than the humans, the Forgefathers are renowned across the galaxy for the impregnability of their battle-suits and the tremendous magnitude of their thermal guns’ firepower, not to mention the incredible rate of fire and penetrative power of their solid-shot weaponry and the lethality of their heat-hammers and axes.

Marauders: A Necessary Mistake

When the Corporation first encountered worlds populated by the ferocious Orx (and their symbiotic stunted sub-race), any attempt at trading, or even communicating, with the warlike tribes proved unsuccessful. Entire systems were ‘cleared’ of the Orx infestation before finally someone found a use for the brutes. General Klimt trained the first battalion of Orx auxiliaries using Corporation war-doctrine, and he was so successful that the Orx were then employed for decades as shock troopers. What the Corporation did not expect though was that the Orx learnt their lesson so well that soon thousands of Orx rebelled against their masters, deserting and seizing control of a flotilla of spaceships. These fugitive Orx made contact with other worlds where their feral brethren still lived and there they spread their new-found technological and organizational skills. That was the beginning of the Marauder civilization, a new race of space-faring Orx that spend all of their time raiding other systems, practicing space piracy, and above all selling their services as mercenaries to anybody that is willing to hire them. Both the Corporation and its enemies make frequent use of these brutal but very effective mercenary troops to reinforce their armies when necessary.

Zz'orr: The Hornets Nest

Not long ago, Corporation explorer-ships have made contact with a new race inhabiting the furthest reaches of the galaxy. To say that they have disturbed a hornet’s nest is a major understatement, but it’s nevertheless a quite accurate description of the events that followed. The vessels themselves were attacked and destroyed with a fury without precedent, and so was the military rescue fleet sent by the Corporation, and then the adjoining systems, whose population paid the ultimate price for the Corporation insatiable desire to expand its domains. Now a massive containment operation is in place, but all attempts at cordoning and blockading the Zz'or homeworlds are proving fruitless. This is an enemy that is different from anything the Corporation or indeed any of the other races has faced before – much like bees that are defending their colony, the immense swarms of the insect-like Zz'or never stop their attacks until they have eliminated the enemy or have been themselves destroyed. They cannot be reasoned or bargained with, nor can they be bribed. In fact all attempts at communication have been ignored and the unfortunate envoys and their escorting troops had to fight desperate battles against an apparently endless swarm of enemies. And yet, these are no mindless beasts. In many occasions they have shown signs of cunning and intelligence in both the grand strategy of their invasion plans and the battlefield reactions of their many and tactically different fighting creatures. And simple beasts don’t build spacecraft…

The Eighth Race

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