History, Imperial company and Corporate cluster
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The imperial company was an organization incorporated by imperial charter in
2391 by Emperox Gaius Kordignia I. Created to establish an independent
industrial base in the Phio system, it grew to be an important part of the
political landscape of the sector until the scream in 2665, at which point
it fractured into several smaller successor corporations.
Today the corporate cluster is dominated by remnants of the company;
isolated by the scream and left to develop on their own during the silence.

As laid out in the original imperial charter, the company had a
hierarchy of power separate from the noble houses and the church; to enable
it to operate outside of the limitations of the houses noble.
It also benefitted from its own codes of law; the company had its own
judicial courts, navy, foreign affairs, and in many ways operated like
an independent entity, while being majority owned by the imperial throne.

The imperial charter originally set out a 3 layered structure of
management for the company:

    > Proprietors
Owners of significant stakes in the company, often with imperial or
noble connections.
The council of proprietors elected Directors,
and voted on major company direction.

    > Directors
Positions typically filled with ex-nobles who abdicated their house and title.
The board of directors were responsible for the day to day operation of
the company.

    > Administrators
Administrators were individuals appointed by the board of directors to
run installations, towns, ships and other company investments that
needed direct oversight.


The original seat of power for the imperial company was on Thorg, the moon of
the planet Ellis in the Phio system, and the company spread its operation
across the local cluster from there.


Thorg and Ellis (Phio system)
    Ellis was designated as a demilitarized planet under company monopoly in
the imperial charter, and was set aside to be the company`s main
manufacturing hub. It centralized a lot of the company's functions under
direct control of the board of directors from the moon Thorg.

Despite the corporate wars between the various successor corporations on Thorg,
Ellis has remained demilitarized and neutral, and it is governed by
whichever corporation holds Thorg.


Company Law
    The Company was given wide autonomy in dealing with internal affairs in
the original charter, and over the years its autonomy was expanded at
several points, resulting in what is commonly called “Company Law” today.

Generally, if a matter happened on Company land, involved Company
employees, or damaged the Company in some way, the Company would have
some jurisdiction over the matter.
In modern times several corporations claim to have the right to operate
by Company law, but this tends to be challenged if the defendant has
imperial or noble privilege.


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                             Successor corporations


Following the fracturing of the Company during the scream and silence,
several successor corporations have risen to claim a line of inheritance from
the original charter.

AURORA media corporation (Naja, Ruti)
    “See The Lights”
The Company used to operate a major executive retreat on the planet Naja in
the Ruti system. Following the scream it was used for a while by the
surviving executives, but was eventually abandoned.
Since the reawakening, the AURORA Media Corporation has mad it its headquarters.

Elysium Cybernetics (Ellis, Phio)
    “Become Extraordinary"
Based on Ellis, Elysium Cybernetics is one of a few brands that remain
independent. They specialize in a wide array of cybernetics which are
often considered to be particularly reliable.

Imperial Shipwrights “IS” (Ellis/Thorg orbit, Phio)
    “Fly with the Best”
Operating out of the old Company stations left around Ellis and Thorg, Imperial
Shipwrights remains one of the only major shipyards operable in the sector.

Cydronics (Kotris, Allisto) - Destroyed by imperially sanctioned inquisition.
    “More Than Human”
Originally the mining division of the imperial Company positioned on
Kotris in the Allisto system, Kotris administrators managed to retain the
manufacturing base of mining androids through the silence.
Post scream, Cydronics rose to supply the sector with androids based on
the pre-scream technology, and eventually developed synthetic humans.
Cydronics was forcefully closed following the cartesian heresy and
outlawing of synths as maltech.

NeoBionic (Kotris, Allisto)
    “With Outstretched Arms”
After intense lobbying in the imperial senate, and the partial repeal of the
13th amendment, NeoBionic was founded on Kotris to restart the
development and production of androids and synthetic humans.

                      Notable non-successor corporations


Not all of the sectors major corporations are successor corporations to the
imperial Company - here are listed some notable non-successor corporations:

VNA
    “Push the limits”
VNA is the largest corporation in the Meris cluster, and is headquartered in
New Seoul on Mefos.
They own and operate a large part of the industrial base of the Meris cluster,
and incorporates several departments in finance, insurance, banking, housing,
development, lobbying etc.

NovaTech Partnership
    “Beyond The Horizon”
Originally formed to study the supernova of the Otierus star,
NovaTech Partnership comprises several of the sector's largest universities,
experimental laboratories, and research organizations.
NovaTech specializes in exploration, pre-tech archeology,
experimental research and writing grant papers. Their main offices are
located on the university moon of Sares, in the Meris system.