ACCEPTED
Faction Name: Rubicon Technocracy

Faction Type: Loyalist

Faction leader(s):
 Technocrat Drogan Asuul
 V.I.C.E.R.O.I (Virtual Interface and Corporate Enterprise Regulatory Oversight Intelligence)

System(s)/Territory: 
The Rubicon Fringe- The Rubicon Fringe is an isolated system located on the very edges of the Empire. Settlement and exploitation rights to the system were granted by charter to an Imperial subsidiary company, Rubicon Robotics., from which the system draws its name. The Rubicon Fringe has little in the way of planetary mass, and less of that habitable. The redeeming quality of the system is the abundance of minerals here, located in the Umber asteroid belt, which marks the border of what was once Imperial space.

Planet(s)/Holdings:
Rubicon Prime- Rubicon Prime is the only planet worth the effort of settling in The Fringe. It is actually the fourth of the four planets that orbit the Rubicon Star, and its location is ideal for launching mining operations into the Umber asteroid belt. The terrain here would be cold and relatively rocky, were it not for the terraforming efforts of the Rubicon Corporation and the subsequent pollution of the planet as the majority of the surface was converted into manufacturing and production facilities. The result is a toxic cityscape with barely breathable air and arable land that can only just support the population of workers and researchers that call the planet home. Still, the production facilities of Rubicon are impressive to say the least. The raw yield of manufactured products produced on Rubicon is the single highest of any system within the Empire (though several other systems do come close) which is all the more astounding as they are created on a single planet.

Umber Asteroid Belt- The Umber Asteroid belt denotes the edge of The Fringe, and the Empire as a whole. The Umber Belt is rich in minerals, which are locked up in the asteroids themselves. Numerous mining operations are ongoing here to supply the production facilities on Rubicon Prime. Due to the carrying capacity of Rubicon Prime, the vast majority of the miners here reside permanently in the mining operational bases.

Waystation A-14- Waystation A-14 is a space station and supply depot located in orbit around the first planet from the sun in the Rubicon System. It is the site of all provided jump coordinates into The Fringe and serves as a refueling and shipping station. In a very real sense, it is the gate leading back into Imperial Space.


Faction/Government Desc:
 V.I.C.E.R.O.I handles all day to day affairs and micromanagement of the Rubicon Technocracy. Asuul performs executive actions on an as-needed basis, and treats with all political officials in affairs of state, as many prefer to deal with a man rather than a machine. The Technocracy is still focused on resource collection to fuel production, but the manufacturing facilities are now geared toward the production of automated war equipment to help restore peace and order for the greater Empire. Being on the fringes of imperial space, they tend to be very isolated unless otherwise engaged, or unless actively coordinating with other Imperial forces in the restoration of order.

History:
 Rubicon Robotics began as an Imperial subsidiary company to produce and develop machines for a variety of tasks. Financed by an Imperial noble by the name of Bactrius Narset, and a sizeable imperial stipend, the Rubicon Corporation settled and developed The Fringe. In a short time, Narset was able to build a mercantile empire of his own, cornering the market on robotics. As production increased, so too did the greed of Bactrius. He began cutting corners in the manufacturing process, leading to cheaper products of lower quality. Still, profits grew as the corporation was able to put out a sheer volume of product that was unmatched elsewhere. Narset, aware of customer complaints, invested a small portion of this money into funding an elite research and development team, while lining his pockets with the rest to maintain his decadent lifestyle. The best and brightest were found to make up this new research team. At their head was Drogan Asuul, a lowborn prodigy with a savant-level of affinity for all things mechanical. In a short time, he began to make improvements to the designs of nearly every model of robot that would both reduce cost and increase reliability. Singlehandedly, this man was beginning to repair the reputation of the Rubicon Corporation. That is until recently. As plots of war began to brew, Bactrius Narset was contacted in secret by the pretenders, and was contracted to produce war machines for the pretender war effort. Seeing an opportunity to turn a hefty profit, Narset began to support the pretenders in their bid against Fashti XI. Foolishly, Bactrius tasked Drogan Asuul with creating new and innovative technologies of war. But the curious mind began to question the origin for the need for these war machines. After accessing restricted databanks, Asuul learned of Lord Narset’s treachery. Having been all his life indoctrinated by Imperial dogma, Asuul was zealously loyal to the Empire. Taking it upon himself to put a stop to Lord Narset’s plot, Asuul set to work in his workshop. There, he spent days on end perfecting an emerging frontier of technology: artificial intelligence. And thus was created V.I.C.E.R.O.I (Virtual Interface and Corporate Enterprise Regulatory Oversight Intelligence). Asuul’s plan was simple, upload the AI into the corporate databanks, and from there download it into all their machines via a software patch. This would give V.I.C.E.R.O.I control of all of the machines, allowing Assul to easily overthrow Narset and put a stop to his plans. But another invention was necessary to ensure that Assul retained control of the situation. And so Drogan fabricated a device called the Uplink, a cybernetic implant that would allow him to interface with V.I.C.E.R.O.I at all times and perform executive override of the AI’s functions if need be. Fitting himself with the Uplink and uploading V.I.C.E.R.O.I into the databanks as planned, Asuul began his coup. It is no exaggeration to say that the struggle lasted minutes. Narset was seized in his chambers and executed on the spot for treason. Asuul found himself in charge of Rubicon that same day, and declared the change in management to the rest of the company. And business resumed as usual. Production shifted towards war machines, as Narset had wanted, but now they would be used to further the Loyalist cause. Asuul sent a statement out to Imperial authorities with enclosed evidence of Narset’s treason and informing them of what had transpired on Rubicon. He declared that he would hold the charter of the Rubicon Corporation until such time as Fashti XI returned to grant the charter anew, or until a new heir was selected with the power to do so.

Relations with the Empire and Other Factions: Asuul is strongly loyal to the Empire. As Fashti XI is the emperor, he would be most pleased to see a return to the rule of Fashti XI. Barring that, his preferred heir to the throne is Kalzerian, as she is a continuation of the Imperial line and a strong ruler who will restore order to the Empire. Despite his preferences, he would find it acceptable so long as any legitimate Imperial ruler should ascend. He houses a fervent hatred for any pretenders to the throne, and will actively oppose them whenever possible. He holds no qualms with reform movements or entities outside of the empire, so long as they pose no threat to the stability of the Empire as a whole. As such he strongly dislikes any separatist movements. He holds no special love for the church, or in fact religion as a whole, and sees no real need to deal with them on a practical basis. Loyalists will typically view his support as a relief, though he may be mistrusted for his lowborn lineage. Many of the Aristocracy view him much the same as they would a lower administrator, seeing him as a “meddlesome Technocrat”, a title which Asuul himself embraces. V.I.C.E.R.O.I is programmed to be loyal to the empire, and treats all imperials equally as allies. Anyone denouncing Imperial rule or existing outside of it is a threat, to be ignored at best and exterminated at worst. V.I.C.E.R.O.I ultimately takes orders only from Asuul. Though the AI forms its own opinions and ideas, Asuul has the power to alter them should he so desire.

Military Capabilities: 
The Regulatory-The Fringe houses a relatively small (but growing) fleet of automated warships, controlled V.I.C.E.R.O.I.’s subroutines, which have been uploaded into all of them. Though they may carry passengers, manual controls were deemed unnecessary in light automation, and thus are not present. These ships are collectively referred to as the regulatory, and singularly as regulators.

Mining Ships- Though not designed for combat, the mining equipment present on the extraction vessels in the Umber Belt can serve an improvised use in battle should the need arise. That said, the miners are not soldiers, and are unlikely to take up arms unless in defense of themselves, and only then if no other recourse is present.

Rubicon Robots- Rubicon Robotics produced a staggering number of military and security droids. Under the Technocracy, the manufacture of these machines has become the primary focus of the production facilities. Though mostly producing bipedal soldiers of a human shape, other forms of robots exist for specialized tasks. Likewise, automated tanks and war machines are also produced. However, it is worth noting that quantity is emphasized over quality. Robots are created quickly and cheaply, but by no means are they durable. In years past, the phrase “reliable as a Rubicon” has entered common usage throughout the Empire as a sarcastic euphemism to refer to anything of dubious quality.