les affranchis "Si j'avance, suivez-moi. Si je meurs, vengez-moi. Si je recule, tuez-moi." "If I lead, follow me. If I die, avenge me. If I go back, kill me."
Overview Name: Les Affranchis Tag: [A]Lastname / [A]Alias/Codename ID: Unione Corse IFF: Unione Corse
Les Affranchis is a secretive Gallic organisation operating outside of all legal bounds with the sole purpose of increasing the wealth and influence of itself and the former monarchy.
The organisation maintains a legal presence through its various legal entities, such as bioengineering company "Renaissance", transport company "Dupont et fils" or the farming conglomerate "Terre Neuve". On the other side of the law, it is heavily invested in criminal activities such as the distribution of Nox, illegal arms trade or human organs trafficking. The organisation also operates as an information and rarities broker, willing to sell its findings to the highest bidder.
History
500 A.G.S
King Antoine II drastically increase taxes throughout the Gallic Kingdom to bolster Gallic Borderworlds expansion projects. Fed up with this economical burden, Théodore Beauvoir, Overseer of Planet Nevers' Salins county, begins to forge secret deals with other Overseers to smuggle goods between local counties.
Following the creation of Île-de-France Shipping, the Gallic Brigands undertake severe piracy efforts throughout the Burgundy and Champagne systems, leading to a steep increase in security and patrols. Théodore reach out to Corse families to smuggle goods off-world.
Théodore Beauvoir passes away in 574 A.G.S at age 86, leaving his legacy to his two sons and his daughter.
600 A.G.S
War begins between the Royals and the Gallic Liberation Front. In a bid to eradicate the widespread corruption throughout the Gallic Royal Police, King Louis IV orders his top officials to enact a large crackdown.
High Ranked GRP officers become aware of Unione Corse operations on Nevers and arrest several of their transports of smuggled goods. Eric Ramzy, Overseer of Cluny county, is imprisoned. The Unione Corse cease their smuggling operations with the Beauvoir family for the time being.
Arno Beauvoir, the youngest amongst the family working with the Unione Corse - leaves Nevers in an attempt to move his family’s illegal business to Ile-De-France. The attempt is a last resort to re-establish trust between parties.
700 A.G.S
Arno Beauvoir’s success paves the foundation for a new family business on Il-De-France, and earns the family a place among the Unione Corse. Over time, all but one of the senior families of Il-De-France reveal themselves to the Beauvoir family.
Being in a state of wealth among the other families, the new head of the Beauvoir family, Fredrick Beauvoir - works directly under King Charles XI and is recognized as a new member of the nobility. Fredrick returns to Nevers as a Noble, using his authority to reopen the Unione Corse’s operations there.
742 A.G.S
The fall of the monarchy ends the reign of the Beauvoir family on Il-De-France, Fredrick is killed by Maquis raiders in an attempt to flee the system of Burgundy. He leaves behind his only son, Aimon Beauvoir, who manages to flee to Planet Marsellie - the once proclaimed home of the Unione Corse.
All but one of the senior Unione Corse families on Ill-De-France are killed, the head of the remaining family - who's identity remains a mystery - arrives on Planet Marseille with new intentions…
Craft
Mistral Noir
One of the earliest attempts to convert conventional Brigand engineering to Union Corse requirements, the Noir employs additional radar and heat sink technologies to substantially reduce its profile in place of the standard armor plating. While less robust than her sister vessel, her increased speed and handling coupled with undiminished firepower makes for an exceptionally violent first strike vessel.
Cuirassier Noir
Built upon the ethos and model of the Brigand Cuirassier, the Noir seeks to further pit the skills of her pilots against the guiles of fate. With an even greater amount of armor sacrificed in the pursuit of speed the Noir can transform the uninitiated pilot to a burning memory scattered amongst the debris fields in which they're conditioned, or a peerless blur of unrelenting firepower in the hands of a true master of space combat.
Jaguar Noir
Like all other Union Corse fighters, the Jaguar Noir is an advanced version to its Brigands predecessor, following the same concept philosophy: Exchanging power for better handling and stealth abilities.
Key Hideouts
Monaco Base - Core Installation
Constructed in 680 A.G.S within the Mer Mediterainee circa, Monaco serves as the crux of the Les Affranchis' illegal operations in Gallia. With the recent set of events in Provence, the system is as good as the base's location to ensure the consistent production and distribution of NOX. While the NOX produced on Monaco is different from that made on Marsielle in secret - it still goes for quite some value among the Affrachis' many buyers. The facility is known to few, and is protected by both the Corse and the Affranchis. All smuggling operations that are in motion, or to be planned - likely take place at Monaco.
Thionville Base - Eastern front
Connecting to the Edgeworld front, Thionville is the catalyst for smuggling operations by the L.A. heading to the eastern front. Recently however, the station has been configured to host Corse fighter wings for raiding and escort purposes. The Outcasts that populate the immediate area east of Lorraine consider the Corse and all other Gallic entities as enemies, hence the change from one purpose to the next. With a steak in it's operations, the L.A. make use of Thionville for both, while they do run combat operations often; the rare presence of the L.A. for such an occasion is not one to be taken lightly.
Luxury Liner Argenton - Southern front
The Luxury Liner Argenton is a "Lucullus" class vessel recently bought and refitted by the Unione Corse in order to compete with IDF Shipping's luxury business operations. It is one of the more legal business ventures owned by the Unione Corse, and the vessel contains all of the modern amenities one would expect to find on the highest class of luxury liner operated within Galia. In addition, with its ever expanding reach into the markets of Kusari, Rheinland, and by some rumors even Liberty, the Unione Corse provide goods not commonly found in Gallia to those with discerning tastes ... for the right price, of course.
Operating in the outskirts of Tau-44 and in turn - the influence of Gallic law, the L.A. has enjoyed the usage of the Liner for streamlining smuggling operations into the houses down south. While many in the ranks of Gallic Law Enforcement hold their suspicions over the liner and system in general, there is almost no admissible proof to satisfy their suspicions.
Planet Marseille - Multi-platform
Marseille is an unspoiled oceanic paradise, with no landmass rising over 12 meters above sea level. The climate on the planet is relatively mild, with polar regions only slightly cooler than the equatorial regions that receive most of the sunlight. The thick atmosphere and deep oceans are in constant motion, forming an immensely complex hydrologic cycle that contributes to the unique climatic conditions. The planet's ocean life is abundant, with numerous species unlike any other organic life forms found elsewhere in Sirius. Creatures similar to Earth's echinoderms are very widespread in the upper oceanic layers. Several species of that group contain the symbiotic bacteria that generate the substance from which a powerful stimulant called Nox is derived. The bacteria extracted from their hosts are shipped to drug laboratories in frozen form, which is the only way pure Nox can be extracted. Attempts to cultivate these bacteria in space or on other planets have all failed. The bacteria cannot survive for long without their hosts, and symbiotic echinoderms require a very complex environment to live in throughout their life cycle.
The natural source of NOX for the L.A, Marseille is as much an asset to the illegal operations of the L.A. as it is a necessity to holster a legal influence in Gallia since the collapse of the Monarchy. The general Corse population on the Planet raises much concern to tourists and is the reason for an increase in police presence.