Techno Union

Faction Information
Name:	Techno Union
Classification:	Production, Vehicle
Date Founded:	Year 13 Day 200
Owner:	Trade Federation
Leader:	Joyenne Southsand
Second-in-Command:
Notable Members:
Territorial Information
Territory:	Korda System
Population:	Inhabitant(s)
Capital:
Most Populated World:
Techno Union Website

The Techno Union, also known as the Department of Vehicle Engineering, was originally a large coalition of high-technology firms. Formed primarily by heavy manufacturing companies, the Techno Union lobbied the Republics Senate on behalf of its members' interests and attempted to ensure fair commerce among its own members. In time, the Techno Union would grow to include galactic shipping magnates, thus further ensuring the free flow of goods.

The Techno Union has experienced many growing pains since its inception. Over the years, it had multiple expansions and downturns, attempting to balance the needs of the Trade Federation, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the wider galaxy while dealing with much turnover in its leadership.

It now sits as one of the main NATs under the Directorate of Production.

Current Staff

(See Chain of Command)

History

Founding

From Nomads to Government

For many years the Trade Federation was a bastion of free trade in the universe. With no real headquarters, they had the freedom to move their cargo as they pleased. This changed under Viceroy Corbin Esco, whose expert leadership led the Trade Federation to unprecedent growth. Eventually, they grew so large that they attained government status. With the beginning of what would become known as The Build Wars, a base of operations was established in Vinsoth and the Glythe Sector.

A Need for Ships

With its enemies vanquished, the Trade Federation enjoyed a period of peace. However, now they were bogged down with not only a planet, but an entire sector which required protection. Protecting both the Glythe Sector and their convoy, the Trade Federation was spreading their ships too thin. They simply needed more ships. To address this concern, they tasked many people to work around the clock designing new fighters, freighters, and capital ships. After perfecting several designs, they wanted to start building ships as soon as possible, but who would build them?

Intellectual Property Protection

It was decided that they could not risk licensing their new technology to other governments and corporations. They would keep their technology to themselves and build or acquire their own factories. A new corporation branded the Techno Union was born under the leadership of the well known and respected Larbac DarkClaw. Larbac quickly brought the Techo Union up to status. He oversaw the construction of a class 4 shipyard and many cities and facilities.

[Begin Historical Record — GNS: Techno Union Grand Opening | Author: Larbac DarkClaw | Y5D256]^[1] Onboard the YV-666 TFN Kobayashi Maru in system Obroa-Skai.

Holoscreens all across the galaxy switch to the news as a special report comes over the holonet. The announcers mention that the Trade Federation has yet another announcement for the galaxy. Speculation has been running wild lately as to what the Trade Federation would be announcing today as in the past few weeks they have announced both the opening of the Commerce Guild and the Confederacy of Independent Systems as well as the execution of a thief. For this special occasion the Shadow Enterprises Affiliate was the only news crew on the screen by Governor DarkClaws request, and so their feed was going out through all GNS networks. Jensalith Bract was the reporter on scene.

“We await an interview with Larbac DarkClaw who has yet another announcement from the Trade Federation. Here comes Larbac DarkClaw now along with Nereus Eruresto”

It wasn’t long before an ominous figure wearing black robes approached the podium and pulled down their hood, revealing the familiar face of Larbac, the Arcona who had brought the Tauntaun Races to the galaxy.

Larbac smiled brightly to the crowd of Trade Federation members that had gathered to hear the announcement which was taking place outside of the Governors Office in the City of Forsetti on the planet of Vinsoth. Larbac raised his hands to quiet the crowd and the holocamera droids all swarmed to get closer views of him as he lowered his hands and began to speak.

"Members of the Trade Federation we come to you today bearing some news that may shock you all. As of 10:30 Friday night, we have officially tendered our resignation from the Trade Federation..."

Socked muttering rippled through the crowd and Larbac let it continue for a moment before holding up a hand to them.

"...Please our friends, it is not as you may think. We are resigning from the Trade Federation but we shall still be the administrator for the Vinsoth System and the Governor of the planet of Vinsoth. When we returned to the Trade Federation we promised that we would never leave again and while we may not be in the Trade Federation we shall still be working for them. You see, as of last Friday night we have been named leader of the Techno Union, a new business dedicated to bringing state of the art starships to the people of the galaxy. Our first contract is of course with the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild and the other members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which we shall also be joining. For those that wish to avail themselves of our services you can either contact Avalon Kartane Or ourselves Larbac DarkClaw to discuss terms for producing your ships…"

The crowd erupted with applause, as they realized that they were not losing their Arconian friend, but instead gaining a new sister company. Larbac let the applause go on for a moment before holding up his hand.

"...We have a few more announcements if you will just bear with us a bit longer. While creating the Techno Union we decided to go with people who may not be known to most of you so we would like to take this time to announce our starting members. Welcome to Avalon Kartane and her brother Kailit Kartane, Phaedra Apshai, Starrchilde Kindreagan, Kiywi Slayn, Ackbar Collins, Trinity Nyte and Saryn Riche.

We have plenty of positions open for new members so if you are interested in joining a new ship production CMG** please visit our recruiting center at Techno Union HoloSite.

We know you are all anxious to get to the CrossStars Tavern and the Drunken Recruit to celebrate this good news however we have 1 last announcement before we go. This has long been in effect but we have unfortunately neglected to officially announce it. At this time we put that oversight behind us. The Glythe Sector is the home of the Trade Federation and as we spread out into new sister companies we have decided that it is time to make our [trade-in] system a bit better organized. Therefore, we wish it to be known that from this date forward all trade in the Glythe sector is to take place in the Varn system, The rest of the Trade Federation space is closed to trading due to our expansion projects. If you have business in Trade Federation space please contact a Trade Federation representative.

We thank you all for your time and now wish you good times in your celebration, oh, and the first round in both the CrossStars and the Drunken Recruit are on the Techno Union!"

Amid tremendous applause, Larbac raised his hands in triumph, a large grin splitting his face. Finally, one of his dreams had come true. Only one more was left, and it was coming. After waving a few times to some familiar faces in the crowd, he walked off. He would celebrate that night with his Techno Union leadership, while also discussing the future.

Jensalith appeared back on the screen and smiling brightly started to speak.

"Well there you have it folks, an announcement of a new business opening within the galaxy. All of us here at Shadow Enterprises wish Larbac the best of luck in this endeavor, not least of which is because he still is the one that signs our paychecks...." She laughed softly, "We now return you to tonight's performance of the 'Little Lost Bantha Cub' being performed by the Hoth Ice Capades troupe."

As Jensalith left the screen went black for a moment before the symbol of the Techno Union appeared on all the screens.

The Rise of the Techno Union

Growth

Year 7 was last major broadcast by Darkclaw, which was to celebrate the Techno Union's expansion, the rise of new administrators, and an unprecedented membership surge. The tone was festive, triumphant, but little did the galaxy know, final.

[Begin Historical Record — GNS: Techno Union Growth | Author: Larbac DarkClaw | Y7D19]^[2] Onboard the XL-7000 Battleship TFL Tenacity in system Tyrius (140, -9) on Year 7 Day 15 20:57.

As the nightly news started all over the Galaxy the normal music played and the newscaster came, announcing that once again with breaking news, they were going live over to the Techno Union on location in the Valrar System. The Confederacy News Network logo would dominate the screen and fade-focused on the Techno Union logo before that too faded out to the familiar Quarren Shelrus Terklan once known as the lead commentator from the Tauntaun races.

"Salutations sentients of the Galaxy!... It brings me great pleasure to speak before you today on such a wondrous occasion. Firstly we would like to thank the press releases from both Enigma and Eidola, for pointing out that yes indeed the Techno Union is performing quite well, but for more on this subject we go now to a press conference being held by Larbac DarkClaw the Director of Operations for the Techno Union..."

The scene resolved to a street outside of a building construction in progress. CIS banners hung from the various repulsors, holding the lights for the workmen at the front of the building. An Arcona, Larbac Darkclaw himself, stood behind a podium, with beings arranged behind him, and members of the Techno Union in full ceremonial uniforms currently standing at attention. Larbac cleared his throat and the murmur from the general crowd died down.

"...People of the Galaxy! We come before you today to bring good tidings in this season of happiness... While many of you gather together with family and friends and exchange gifts, we at the Techno Union have been getting and giving our own gifts that in the coming days we shall be sharing with you our loyal consumers. Behind Us you see the new Techno Union family...bigger and better than ever before! We have grown quite a bit as the Eidola have pointed out earlier this week in their own news articles. Yes, it is no secret our member count has risen considerably ...our stock has soared in value from what it had been just weeks ago. The strong increase we attribute to the Techno Union's new Second in Command, Assistant Director Alexander Winters." The image pans a moment to the Blond gentleman standing behind Larbac, then back to the smiling Arcona. "Alexander, we thank you for coming to our family and bringing so many beings with you, and we welcome you and hope you have a very successful and fulfilling stay within the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Now, on to other news first broken by Enigma, which we were going to save till closer to the end of the month. We do indeed have a station under construction... To help fulfill customer orders and to better serve you we have both the Zapheris Production Yard (a screen beside Larbac would resolve with a holographic picture of a level 4 production station under construction) and behind me the building you see being constructed is the Glaederon Research Institute. With this Research center and this production yard being added to the factories already created within our systems we are expecting a good turn over rate for the ships we will be producing within the near future. These ships will include the best yacht on the market today and a good in system material tug. To finish with this evening so you can all go back to your regular shows we would like to remind everyone that the Techno Union has not forgotten about our promise to effectively double the stocks that all non-CIS members own! This stock double is almost upon us as we are achieving the sales point that would bring it forth... However due to the length that this has taken we are now placing a limit on this to before the end of the month (December 25th to be exact). By the 26th of this month we shall start the process of doubling the stocks for consumers as promised. To get in on this deal just contact myself, or Garven Stalwart of the Corporate Alliance before the cutoff date of the 25th of this month. Goodnight, and for all that this applies to, have a happy holiday no matter what planet you may be from."

The CIS logo flashed upon the screen and then faded to be replaced with your regularly scheduled news program.

DarkClaw Steps Down

Late in Year 7, after years of service, Larbac DarkClaw stepped down due to personal reasons. To fill his shoes, a newcomer and former Trade Federation Minister Jacob Jansen was promoted to President.

With the Techno Union under his command, Jansen commissioned the construction of many shipyards to be built in the Valrar System. As the shipyards were completed, orders for Techno Union products, especially the W-23 Star Hauler, came flooding in. With the increase in sales, the Techno Union began a hiring spree, and the membership numbers broke all previous records.

Duceroy Jansen

After witnessing the growth and success of the Techno Union under his leadership, on Year 8 Day 128 the Trade Federation offered Jansen a promotion in the Confederacy to the role of Duceroy. Jansen accepted, and Krayt Fel was appointed President of the Techno Union. Moving over from his Corporate Alliance leadership position, Fel was an ideal choice for Jansen's replacement. Fel focused the Techno Union on private and military orders, commissioned more Shipyards to be constructed, and helped improve the overall efficiency of the Techno Union. During the reign of Fel, the Techno Union signed a partnership with Starsign Shipyards, establishing the Confederate Shipyards. Both Factions worked together to mass produce the ships needed to fulfill military and private demand which came from all corners of the galaxy.

Militarization and Struggles

In Year 9, with the Confederate Shipyards in full swing, the Techno Union began to shift its focus from the private sector of ship production to the military sector. It left all civil operations to Starsign Shipyards and reduced itself to a skeleton crew, leaving their Valrar home and relocating to a less densly populated area more suited to the demands of military ship production.

Overwhelming Internal Demand

After a considerable amount of tenacious and tedious work, the functional core of the new production base was finally complete and the first ships began trickling off the production line. However, the existing supply of workers and raw materials were no match for the demands of the Trade Federation and the CIS and Fel decided to resign. The position was offered to Olwin Froon, a seasoned shipwright who was at the time Starsign Shipyards' COO and Production Director. On Y9 D324, Froon took over what was left of the Techno Union and began to whip logistics and paperwork into shape. A few weeks later, his friend and right-hand, Starsign Logistics Director Vas Felix transferred to Techno Union. Together, they streamlined operations and soon all shipyards were running at peak performance producing battleships for the Trade Federation and affiliates.

Membership Shortage of Year 9

Unfortunately, the Techno Union ran into a severe membership shortage, So severe that they were forced to borrow members from the Ministry of Defense. Despite help from the DoD, the Cabinet announced that the Techno Union would merge with Starsign Shipyards simply because of the lack of membership to keep both up and running. It was decided that beginning Year 10 Day 174, both companies would run under the Techno Union banner to honor its roots as a Confederacy of Independent Systems faction. It was also determined that Olwin Froon would stay on as TU CEO, and that SSY CEO Solomon D`ark, would become the new TU COO, replacing Vas Felix. However D`ark almost immediately stepped down due to what he called "personal matters." Ex-COO Vas Felix was immediately recalled to the position which he accepted gladly.

Major Restructuring

The struggles of Techno Union turnover and all the "musical chairs" prompted a major restructuring of the Trade Federation to streamline production and increase efficiency. Olwin Froon was asked to become the Minister of Production of the newly formed Ministry of Production. The Techno Union, now with Vas Felix at the helm, was integated back into the Federation and became The Department of Naval Production whilst still preserving the Techno Union brand. The Department of Naval Production was placed under the newly created Ministry of Production and would continue the work of building ships to protect the Directorate and its interests while keeping the wheels of trade turning.

At the time, Techno Union had a bright future ahead of it. There was ever expanding membership employing more than 16,000 ship builders and it governed more than twenty seven million sentients. At the time, Techno Union had very limited public sales during internal restructuring, but the work of increasing production capacity continued to through the construction of more shipyards and ships to service these yards.

Acquisitions

The events of the following section, which were originally shrouded in mystery, have been restored through painstaking archival research and should never be altered without complete certainty in such edits.

Kuat Drive Yards

On Year 13 Day 200, Viceroy Jacob Jansen acquired Kuat Drive Yards. All tangible and intangible assets related to naval production owned by the Techno Union were transferred to a shell called Kuat Ships and was immediately merged into KDY to form the new official Department of Naval Production. All tangible and intangible assets related to vehicle production owned by KDY was transferred to a shell called Kuat Vehicles and immediately merged into the Techno Union to form the new official Department of Vehicle Engineering.

Akheton Vehicle Corporation

On Year 16 Day 71, the Trade Federation acquired Akheton Vehicle Corporation and merged it into the Techno Union, growing its product line and strengthening its production capacity.

Past Members

• Joyenne Southsand was appointed CEO on Year 17 Day 57 by Minister Salamku Derov of Techno Union.

Banners

References

1. GNS: "Techno Union Grand Opening", c. Year 5 Day 256 ↩
2. GNS: "Techno Union Growth", c. Year 7 Day 19 ↩