Humans were contacted by an advanced alien species (the Hyar) who introduced humanity to the Galactic Community.  Humanity integrated well, showing special adeptness at military matters, until they were well-represented in every branch of the Community Defense Force.  Within two centuries the worse elements of humanity overthrew the Community and established an empire.  The Empire lasted two centuries and took another to come apart.  The remnants of the Empire coalesced around several power centers and formed the current collection of human-centered or dominated polities.  Other remnants of the Community, most of which are non-human dominated or centered, also continue to thrive.

The Hyar originally believed that humanity was a vibrant and dynamic species that would be a strong ally against a xenophobic species from the galactic core that threatened the Community.  They were right and humans fought hard alongside other species.  They also learned everything they could from other, older species and the imperialistic ”Humanity First” group used that knowledge to establish the Empire.  The Hyar disappeared en masse as a species at the beginning of the Imperial drive and have never been seen since.

Human (or majority/dominated) Polities:

The Federated Alliance, an attempt to recreate the Galactic Community, a heterogeneous collection of worlds with great diversity of species, centered on Earth and the core of the former Empire.  Despite the great diversity within the Alliance, it remains majority (if only barely) human in population, and humans predominate in Alliance military and governmental structures.  The Alliance is the largest power in erms of number of worlds, industrial capacity and defensive might, though it remains about half the size of the original Community.

The Solian Empire, a prejudiced, racist, human-superiority empire that is the spiritual successor to the Human Empire.  Several non-human worlds are enslaved within the Empire which is approximately one third the size of the former Human Empire.  Its capital is the industrial world of Bessemer.  The emperor claims descent from the former Imperial family.

The Accord of People, a human polity of one star system (with many colony cylinders and two worlds) that is wholly surrounded by the Alliance, and cooperates frequently with the Alliance and the Republic, but is not a member of either.  Their system is closed to most outsiders, and it is rumored they are technologically ahead of the standard.

The Holdings of Maxentius, a dictatorship that controls several systems in the border region between the Alliance and the Solian Empire.

Additionally,

The Galactic Republic, a remnant of the Galactic Community that resisted the Empire and remains.  Heterogeneous and diverse and humans are a small minority.  Roughly on par with the Solian Empire in size and resources.

The Kingdom of Randu, an alien kingdom governing several systems on the fringe of Republic space.

Unaligned Space is an amorphous tangle of systems in and around the border regions between the other powers.  There are many single-system or single-world polities in these areas balancing diplomatic tensions to maintain their independence.  The types of governments and adherence to law, morality and sophont rights among them vary wildly.

Campaign Model and Set-Up

The group is aboard an exploration cruiser.  The mission is run by a university but funded by government grants.  The mercenary company (considered an ethical company, white hat mercenaries) was hired for protection in the unknown.  Alliance star force personnel were not assigned to it so that the non-Alliance and unaligned nations would allow them passage through their space.  The ship has shuttles and other small craft.  There are several groups aboard the ship, and several command structures.

The ship has a captain and crew; the ship's crew answers to the captain and s/he has final authority where the safety of the ship is concerned and in the operation of the ship itself.   The Ship's crew are largely fore (operations and command) and aft (engineering) and also billeted near their stations, with officers in double occupancy and enlisted four per cabin, CO, XO and chief engineer have their own cabins.

The mercenaries have their own chain of command, the leader of the mercenaries directs their operations.  The mercenaries are billeted near the hangars, with pilots doubled up (2 per room), ground crew are four per cabin (each mecha has four ground crew); the command staff are also double occupancy except the commander has their own room.  The mercenary company is no more than a dozen mecha, with pilots, ground crew and command staff.

There is a chief scientist in charge of the research teams, science labs, and mission execution.   They have their own cabin; the other scientists are double occupancy with research assistants in quad cabins.

All three (Ship’s Captain, Chief Scientist, Mercenary Leader) answer to the mission command which consists of a university administrator, a government attaché, and a military liaison.  In ordinary times the university administrator is in charge, in times of war or serious security threat the military liaison takes charge; the government attaché decides when that happens.  Mission Command personnel (all three) have their own cabins.

Sometimes there are observers from other government agencies or allied nations and the scientists and researchers come from all over the Alliance and allied nations.

FAV Archimedes “Archie”, Explorer-class research vessel  (FAV = Federated Alliance Vessel = civilian non-merchant)

Mekton Zeta Medium Hull size with Light Heavy class armor.
  1200 Kills, 70 SP
  Takes up 12 50m Hexes at 1:1 scale
  MA: 12, +6 50m hexes of turn radius at 1:1 scale
  About 250,000 tons displacement

Maximum Life Support Capacity: 360 beings.
Crew Quality: C (inexperienced but not green (12+1d10 skills))
Cargo Capacity: 1,800 tons.
Small Craft Compliment: maximum of 35 mecha or mecha-sized craft.
Small Craft:  shuttles, work pods, mecha

Weapons: Deluxe Close-In Defense System (CIDS).

Additional Equipment:
Enlarged sensor array (mega-heavy sensors with ASP, Radio/Radar Analyzer, Resolution Intensifier, Spotting Radar, and Target Analyzer.)
Science Laboratories
Medical/Surgical Suite

---

For comparison, a Ford-class Super Carrier displaces about 100,000 tons.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:47, Sun 24 Mar.

Federated Alliance Alpha Quadrant
-- Xendalla System
---- Planet Acheron
------ Zebulon University
-------- Viracocha Institute for Expeditionary Research

Acheron is a multi-cultural world that has two claims to fame: it is a local cultural center producing music, art, philosophy, and other intangible products of a similar nature; and it is the home of Zebulon University, one of the premier research institutions in the Alliance.  it has a standard, human-breathable atmosphere, and has a variable distribution of temperatures across the planet, though tends towards warm with the equatorial regions being hot, dry deserts; the biosphere is compatible with human and other carbon-based sophont life, supporting a population the 800 million range.

The primary orbital station is a large, mixed commercial and research station called Magellan.  Any vessel too large to land on the surface either docks at Magellan Station or remains in a parking orbit and shuttles personnel and cargo in small craft.  Small craft are also used to ferry from the surface to Magellan Station.

Magellan station is the home port for the Archimedes deep space research ship, operated jointly by the Institute and the Alliance Directorate of Science and Technology.