>> original datalink-stream [Secure Maltese Databanks]
>> Accessing information regarding the religious group known only as The Cult of Origin.
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Overview
The Cult of Origin was founded shortly after the citizens of the Nacion arrived on Ishmael as a result of the critical system error which caused the Hispania to fly off course. As can be expected of regular humans yet changed into true Maltese, panic spread among the ranks of the survivors and they struggled to find a cause for the events which had lead the humans to Ishmael. Most of the survivors soon realized that seeking to escape from reality by means of religious zeal would surely lead to the extinction of the human races found aboard the Hispania, abandoned the message which the Cult of Origin sought to spread and rallied under the banner of the Maltese Cross. There was, however a minority who clung to the belief that the arrival to Ishmael was a result of divine providence, and not an act of sabotage by [censored] as we know today.
As the effects of the genetic-altering plant, Cardamine, was discovered, the Cult of Origin insisted that this was indeed evidence of a divine hand wishing to lead us to Ishmael so that we might partake in its bounty. The Maltese government was quick to discredit the Cult so that our then fledgling civilization might be built on a foundation of reason instead of blind faith, as is expected of beings which are far superior to the race which we were derived of. As a result of this, the Cult of Origin lost a vast amount of members who either defected when faced with a superior force of arms, or were captured and purged of the propaganda which clouded their thoughts. It is known that the Cult survived the purge, and secluded itself, and what few members it had, in order to avoid a similar fate.
When the Nacion first encountered the alien race known to us as the Slomon k'Hara, word of these encounters spread wildly among the first couple of pilots before the government managed to effectively contain the leaks. One pilot went missing, presumably having read the Cult's manifesto and believed that the Slomon k'Hara were proof of the divine providence the Cult believes in. This caused the Cult to change their manifesto and speak of the Slomon k'Hara as evidence of what humanity can become through Cardamine. Few believed in this, however, and once again the government was able to keep the Cult from growing into a larger threat.
The present day incarnation of the Cult of Origin is a little threat to the security of the Nacion, having nearly not access to space-worthy vessels and only possessing a few hidden enclaves within the nation itself.
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Belief
The Cult of Origin believes that the malfunction of the Hispania was a result of a higher being's wish to bring the Maltese humans to Ishmael so that they might "ascend" by partaking in the Orange Dream. They also believe that the Slomon k'Hara are pilgrims who once found Ishmael and ascended in a similar manner, and to them, the Slomon k'Hara are known as the "Prophets" of Origin.
The name of the cult is derived from the belief that we all originate from flesh, but eventually ascend to a new form of life, something which they seem to take a very liberal point of view towards. Human sacrifices are common, but the Cult would say that this is a necessary evil in order to determine if its members are prepared to ascend.
Blessed is the man who dies, for he will see things which lie beyond our sight until we join him in the void where we will fly with the prophets and learn their secrets. - A torn page from the Book of the Prophets.
It should be noted that the Cult views the Hispania as a sacred vessel of the divine will which brought the Maltese to Ishmael, and could they take flight they would most certainly defend it against any and all defilers.
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Leadership
There have been many leadership styles in the Cult of Origin throughout its turbulent, and bloody, history. The first incarnation of the Cult was lead by a cabal of prophets called the Triumvirate. This practice was abandoned when the Slomon k'Hara appeared and the cult bestowed the "rank" of Prophet onto them in their ignorance. They were also hard-pressed in keeping their group hidden from the eyes of the government in the aftermath of the religious purge which took place five hundred years ago, and thus every enclave of the Cult had its own leadership style.
About ten years ago, the Cult of Origin was brought together under the shadow of its current leader, a man we know only as Constantine. The Maltese Security Service estimates that Constantine leads the Cult through several vassals present within the enclaves, and further cements his hold on the Cult through personal appearances.
The Maltese Security Service has stated that the capture of Constantine is vital in order to eliminate the Cult of Origin once and for all.
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Enclaves
What little is known about the Cult enclaves is that they are hidden in the darkest corners of Ishmael where people rarely tread. They lie underground, or within natural caverns as to minimize the requirement for a construction crew.
Every enclave that is eliminated brings us further to the destruction of the cult, for they do not have the means to reconstruct their strongholds once destroyed.
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Threat level
While the Cult of Origin is classified as a threat to the Nacion, they do not view us in the same way. They are happy to dispose of interlopers who enter their enclaves, but beyond that they have no interest in destroying the Maltese government, believing that the ignorant will always be beyond the reach of ascension. And likewise, they have no qualms about defending their strongholds until the last man seeming as they believe that death is the final step towards ascension.
>> Accessing information regarding the Nacion Maltese.
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Overview
The Nacion Maltese was formed out of half of the population who decided to stay on the Hispania after it suffered a critical malfunction, causing it go off course and never arriving at its intended destination: New Madrid.
Our Nacion at the time was composed mostly of humans of the Italian-archetype of human with the Hispanic-archetype being the second largest, and the Greek-archetype being the minority. All racial distinctions between the three archetypes has since vanished due to the gene-altering effect of the plant known as Cardamine, but while physical characteristics may no longer apply, individual upbringings in the different zones plays a part in determining what kind of cultural heritage a Maltese citizen adopts.
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Politics
When our people first arrived on Ishmael, a call to order was issued nearly immediately and thus the foundation for the national-socialist society ever Maltese can enjoy today. This change was made possible through Cardamine, which changed the way we perceived the world, and allowed us to evolve past the very human flaw of singular way of thinking. Pure blood Maltese are born with this understanding, while second-class citizens who have only just recently been made into "Outcasts" needs time to adjust the way they perceive the world. That is why some might call our society a totalitarian one, for we will not allow dissidence from those who are not born in the Nacion.
Every region of Ishmael is ruled over by a governor, who in term is ruled over by a senator, much in the same way the records taken from aboard the Hispania shows that ancient Italy functioned. The-
[Accessing classified data]
As a member of Maltese Navy High Command, I feel that you are entitled to this information, though you may already know it.
The governors and senators are not the power on Malta. They value the Outcast way of life, yes... and they understand the need for the greater good, however we are still part-human, and as such avarice can still grip the best of us. They spend their time sending their personal guards out to gather exotic baubles, gather wealth or other objects which they can use to increase their status within the higher classes of Malta. Their power is... not as great as some might think... no.
Know this: The true power of the nation lies with the Maltese navy, and a select few senators, business men and... people such as myself who understands what the nation needs to do in order to survive.
True men of power would never prance around in a toga and indulge in the mortal world like a neo-Caligula would... remember that. - D. Jameson
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Science
Cardamine mutation is known to increase the mental capacity of the human organism, and that face is reflected in the technology we use today. Our scientists has a keen understanding of particle manipulation, exotic particles, alternative fuel sources and many other fields of study.
Most outsiders would believe that the Maltese take on science only involves ways of which to vanquish our enemies, but this is far from the truth; Our understanding of exotic particles has not only yielded the deadly Wyrm-class tachyon cannon, but also advanced energy generators. Our knowledge in the field of particle manipulation does not only apply to the Kraken, but also advanced means of recycling spent material.
Our scientists have also been exploring the substance Cardamine, and cross-bred it with different types of regional Cardamine in order to produce the modern Cardamine plant we grow today. But they are of course very interested in discovering the full extent of the mutative properties of the plant as well.
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Industry
Recycling plays a big part in the Nacion Maltese. Roughly 81% of all material is recycled within the Nacion, mostly due to the fact that we lack the resources that most other houses takes for granted. Trespassers whom are destroyed may live to see their ships used against them one day because of this fact. Space debris is recycled in orbit, while planet side recycling is more centered around preserving the one planet the Nacion has in its possession.
Ships are produced in high orbit, and nothing is spared in keeping the process as clean as possible, because as a society, we don't have any area to dispose of waste, nor do we wish to waste our precious resources in inefficient means of production.
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Citizens
All Maltese citizens, be they high, or low, class are treated well, for the Maltese understands that be they workers brought to us, or immigrants from other houses, they all turn to Maltese given enough time. In a way we are fortunate; We do not have to indoctrinate our people, they learn the value of unity through time.
All first-class citizens of the Nacion Maltese knows how to fight in space, and on the ground. All Maltese children are taught the art of war as part of their education, and second-class citizens are taught when they seek to prove themselves worthy of becoming a first-class citizen.
Maltese
A first-class citizen is either an individual who is born as a Maltese (A-class-by third generationB-class-before reaching third generation), or a person from the other houses who has turned into something other than a human- an Outcast to their own kind- who has then proven to be worthy the honor of being a first-class citizen through military service or spectacular acts of personal sacrifice to serve the greater good, a trait which all true Maltese does because it is part of our heritage. Many true-blood Maltese enlist in the Maltese Navy as a result, for the belief that the greater good must be served is cemented deep in their thoughts, and their genes.
Outcast
A second-class citizen is either a person from the other houses who has been turned into an Outcast through exposure to Cardamine, or a third-class citizen -or worker- who has worked long enough to earn his freedom. They are not yet fully trusted to be part of the nation since unlike true Maltese, the Cardamine in their veins has yet to grant them the unique insights which other citizens have, causing them to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Indeed, many of the immigrants turn to piracy after having come to the Nacion, if only because they have yet to abandon trite concepts such as personal gain, while the workers who turn into second-class citizens only do so because the senator who has them under their employ feels that they must prove themselves to his house.
Worker
Third-class citizens are known as slaves to outsiders, but this is far from the truth; Slaves are well-fed, given medical attention and proper, if not a bit small, housing while they work towards the good of the Nacion. Most would believe that they only work in the fields, but this is far from the truth; You can find immigrant workers in almost all parts of non-sensitive Maltese industry, and most of them are elevated to the social rank of second-class citizen when the evolution of their minds through Cardamine causes them to see our society from a new point of view. They can then serve in sensitive industrial operations such as the orbital construction of ships, or as crew aboard a small capital ship as steps along the path of becoming a true Maltese.
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Citizen classes in the military
Third-class citizens are never forced into the military for obvious reasons; Giving weapons to people who does has yet to understand the Nacion is a poor idea.
Second-class citizens serves as fighter pilots, or capital warship crew, and may even become captains and officers provided that they manage to make the leap to first-class citizen through acts of heroism. They also serve as basic infantry during boarding actions or possible planetside combat.
First-class citizens- True Maltese- are the officers and captains of the Maltese Fleet and the higher-tier officers of ground-based combat.
>> Accessing information regarding the Maltese military.
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Military
The Maltese military is centered around the belief that no life should be thrown away callously, and as such its focus is mostly that of defense over offense, and to prevent its enemies from establishing a foothold close to, or within Maltese-controlled territory. The technology used by the Maltese military reflects its agenda quite well, being capable of arming its troopers with flexible, agile, armour which allows the user to make full use of the enhanced reflexes granted by Cardamine, and agile ships which once again allows the user to utilize their biological advantage over human beings.
Maltese infantry, as mentioned earlier, utilize weaponry and armour which allows them to take advantage of their highly-developed reflexes, strength and agility. Light weapons utilized include a variety of vibroblades, wrist-mounted polymer nets and miniature particle pistols based on the Kraken design. Heavy weapons utilized include shoulder-mounted exotic particle projectors akin to the ship-to-ship Wyrm cannon, however heavy weapons are rare among the highly mobile ground forces of the Maltese military.
Planet-based combat vehicles are rare for the same reason heavy infantry-based weaponry is, however the Maltese military has access to a number of exoskeletons which are well suited at defeating both infantry and armour through the use of a number of particle blasters, wrist-mounted blades and integrated shield generators. Please note that the Maltese military finds the use of tanks and similar kinds of designs to be too archaic to be of use in this day and age.
Space-based combat is based around the idea of feints and tactical retreats in order to keep control of the battle. A Maltese capital ship, for instance, would lure an enemy capital ship to fire upon it, and then withdraw, luring the enemy into a pack of Sabres carrying the Inferno shield defeater system.
The technology we use may be superior to that of our enemies, but you would be wise to remember that we do not have strength of numbers on our side. - Raul Sanchez
Maltese ships are agile, fast and carry an amount of firepower which surpasses the capabilities of its enemies, however the ships are designed to avoid fire so new pilots would be wise to improve upon their reflexes while they are practicing inside of the simulators at the Maltese war schools.
>> Accessing information regarding Nacion bordering enemies.
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The Corsair Empire
When the Hispania suffered a critical malfunction, half of the ship formed a suggestion which called for the use of all small craft aboard the vessel in order to escape what they believed to be a certain death. What was to be the Maltese allowed them to leave with roughly two-thirds of the vessels present aboard the Hispania, and that is where the Hispanic house split in two. The majority of people who left were of Greek origin and Hispanic origin, however small amounts of Italian humans were present among them as well.
We would not see them until several centuries later, flying underneath the banner depicting the skull of a horned animal, and under the name of The Corsair Empire, and their banner reflected their fall to mere animals, less than humans perhaps. Conflict broke out in the systems now known as the Sigmas over petty differences in culture as well as perhaps jealousy of the fact that their former brothers and sisters had found a planet much more suited for colonization than their own world. This conflict sparked the war which persists to this very day.
Technology
While not as technologically endowed as the Maltese, the Corsair Empire is still capable of constructing devices based on what we to believe scraps of alien technology found on the planet which they landed upon. These devices are capable of creating fields of anti-matter which is quite potent against other combat-class vessels, their only weakness being their relatively sluggish speed and poor tracking capability. They have also found relics which has granted them a keen insight into the manipulation of shielded surfaces, resulting the in the potent shield-defeating devices they employ to this day.
Threat level
Due to the fact that the Corsair Empire lies too near the Nacion Maltese, and the fact that they carry a deep-seated grudge against it, the Maltese military has classed them as the greatest threat to the Nacion Maltese as of this time.
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The Independent Miners Guild
Formed from disgruntled miners who had no wish to adhere to the rules of the houses, the IMG was formed to secure the wealth of the miner, for the miner. They operate mostly out of the fringes of civilized space, out of their own bases which are carved out of massive ice, rock and metal asteroids.
One century ago, the Nacion Maltese encountered the IMG in the system now known as Tau 23, where the IMG had already began operations. The asteroid fields of the system is not optimal for capital ship-class operations, and as such the IMG are a difficult faction to uproot due to the fact that all Maltese military operations has to be conducted using small craft.
Technology
The IMG suffers from the same lack of imagination that normal humans possess, resulting in vessels which has no special features or design quirks, and their guns mirror their origin as a mining operation, having been created from old mining beams to meet the Maltese threat.
Reason for conflict
The IMG and the Maltese nation are currently in conflict over the ownership rights of the system Tau 23, and the resources therein. The miners claim that they discovered the system, while every Maltese knows that the system was first discovered by the Maltese over five-hundred years ago.
Threat level
The Maltese military has classed the IMG as a minor threat to the security of the nation since they are more interested in the ore present in Tau 23, rather than exterminating the Maltese.
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The Gas Miners Guild
The Kusari-based corporation known as the GMG first encountered the Hispanic houses when it moved into the Sigma-systems, and like so many others found itself to be a victim of the Corsairs and Maltese supply gatherers back in a time when the Maltese needed to siphon resources from humans in order to survive. This resulted in the Maltese and Corsairs being classed as pirates by the GMG and that classification persists to this day.
The conflict with the GMG recently took a new turn as they, much like the IMG attempted to siphon resources from Omicron Beta, a Maltese system. The result of this was to be shown as the Maltese military began to fight back all GMG expeditions into Maltese space with the same vigor they would fight back the Corsairs, and this resulted in a deep-seated grudge between the two factions.
Technology
The GMG utilize ships which blend into the environments which they operate; Namely the gas clouds of the Sigma-systems. They are small, agile and well-designed as most Kusari ships are. What separates the GMG designs from Kusari is a withdrawal from the archaic which Kusari leans on which is replaced with a keen understanding of the need to improve upon designs constantly.
Hmpf. Were it not for the fact that we were enemies, I'd say those miners would make a good addition to the nation. - D. Jameson
Threat level
Since the GMG possess designs which lies beyond the narrow scope of Kusari design philosophy, as well as the fact that they are dedicated to fighting what they believe to be the scourge of the Sigmas, the Maltese military has classed them as a major threat to the security of the borders of the Nacion.
