The Étendard Noir, or Black Standard, is a recently-formed subgroup of the Maquis terrorist organization, considered radical even by their standards. They have taken their parent group's opposition against the Gallic Crown to its fullest extreme, opposing all hierarchical organization in corporate, military and legislative context. The Étendard has collected in its ranks those among the Maquis, the Gallic underworld in general, and even beyond in some cases, with the highest tolerance of collateral damage, the most radical opposition to organization, and the least to lose.
Their modus operandi is simple: The wholesale destruction of structure and organization, and anyone they deem to represent those concepts in space. The residual ties to the Brigands leave the faction neutral in the Étendard's eyes, though ties are even more distant than the frayed relations the main body of the Maquis still pursues.
Due to these methods, the group struggles with funding and materials, relying on individual members providing their own ships and supplying themselves with whatever remains of their targets.
Everything about their operations is a reflection of their radicalism: They never surrender, they do not take prisoners, they focus on exerting maximum destruction upon anyone opposing them.
The group had focused their operations on Bretonia and the southern Taus, as they had considered Bretonia to be liable to collapse and rebirth into an anarchic society. In this theater, they considered Gallic Crown forces, Bretonian forces, and nearly anyone else to be hostile targets, in their pursuit of encouraging an overthrow of the Bretonian government, and the outbreak of anarchy on Bretonian planets. In this pursuit, they recruited a number of Bretonian radical anarchists that share their opposition to the control of either Crown.
With the Council offensive in Gallia ending the war, the movement was left in disarray as members quarreled about where anarchist insurrection would now have the best chances of success. The new Confederacy of Gallia was universally denounced by the radicals, and the barely-tangible bonds with the former Council severed completely.
While some elements still believe in toppling the Bretonian Crown, weakened by war but strengthened by its end, others are now actively working against the new government in Gallia, hoping to exploit its infancy. Meanwhile others have started looking further abroad, looking to exploit the Rheinland crisis, or finding like-minded individuals elsewhere.
Given their very limited funds and almost complete lack of support, it remains to be seen how successful the group will be in the long run, but they have so far sustained their numbers with new recruits to counter their substantial losses.
OBJECTIVES
The stated goal of the Étendard Noir is the destruction of human civilization, so that it might be reborn into an anarchist utopia. To achieve this goal, the Étendard will attack civic, corporate, and military targets as they deem appropriate, with the sole objective of causing as much structural harm to human society as possible. Their overall strategic aim is based on the assumption that when stressed enough, governments will collapse, thus potentially giving rise to the localized, small-scale anarchic societies the Standard wishes to effect.
ORGANIZATION
With their radical opposition to any sort of hierarchical structure, the Étendard completely lacks any sort of centralized leadership. The members of the cell coordinate with their squad-mates, making attack plans for small strike groups, but there is no overall strategic command. The fighters are, if anything, united by their lack of larger-scale strategy and opposition to the very concept beyond abstract ideological levels.
Étienne Sechy, a former pirate and highwayman active in the Taus and western Kusari, is known to have taken a prominent role in the organization of the Étendard, but it is doubtful if his influence extends beyond his personal acquaintances among the group, considering their basic principles of operation see hierarchy as anathema.
DIPLOMACY
The Étendard generally makes an effort not to antagonize the partners of the Maquis, the Gallic Brigands. Aside from them, they view all organized movements as enemies of the anarchist utopia they wish to achieve.
I'm curious, what of the Corse and the Minarchy? Considering it's the closest thing to a true Libertarian state Discovery currently possesses, I'd imagine it's likely also the closest thing to your anarchic utopia.
Either way, I'm in love with this writeup and I'm really looking forward to seeing you guys ingame.
I think we've found the third most openly, directly, spontaneously and stupidly evil faction around here after the Commune and the Iseijin (in this order).
Brilliant writeup, brilliant idea. Really.
Also, like Durandal asked, what's your take on the Minarchy? They're basically anarchists in charge of an entire system, or is this a sort of authority that's already too spread and state-like for you?
I wasn't sure about the Corse and the Minarchy, but I ultimately decided that given their history of jumping the fence a bit, they should also be among the "everyone else".
However, that's just the base diplomacy. Of course this may very well change when roleplay develops, as relations with all other factions currently hostile may. It's expected, and hoped, that we will interact with the Corse and that may well lead to a change in diplomacy.