Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Codify a group established in rp. Expand on Tephrike lore.
Image Credit: Here. Pic modified for me by Runi Verin.
Canon: N/A.
Permission: Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Into Darkness, After Darkness, Tephrike, Elpsis, Phoebe, Mel, Partuz, Rhea, Mara Technician, Inferno Platoon, Shazora Jai Vahal, Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader, Republican Guard, Communion, The Long Road, Order of Fire, Siobhan, Hydra Assault Force, Discussions With An Interested Party, Unusual Negotiations, Varisanthra Lycaeni, Nova Bank.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Organization Name: The Unchained. Full name is the True Followers of the Life Force Unchained from the Tyranny and Cruelty of the False Prophets. Tephriki make everything so damn long and flowery. In this context, 'life force' refers to a general construct of nature and reality which is non-denominated.
Classification: Covenant, Rebel Movement.
Affiliation: Themselves. Phoebe, Elpsis, Church of the Unified Spirit, Fellowship of Generational Health and Resilience, Tephrike.
Organization Symbol: An image of two clenched fists breaking their chains. They have a red and black flag, with a red circle with broken chains in the middle. Black is the colour of outrage at the crimes against sentience perpetrated on Tephrike, and the negation of the social orders they have fled from. It is a colour of mourning, but also resolve. Red stands for sacrifice and freedom. Combined, they represent the hope of a new dawn.
Description: When the Gulag Virus ravaged the Galaxy, Tephrike descended into chaos. Millions died from disease or factional infighting. The nominally democratic federal government proved incapable of resolving the crisis, so the Jedi led a coup to remove it from power and impose a junta. What started as a temporary, emergency regime soon degenerated into a repressive, totalitarian dictatorship. The Jedi were corrupted by their power and the horrors of war, as they were forced to make increasingly ruthless choices. They became the very thing they sought to destroy, while still believing they served the greater good. The Disciples of the Vader and the Republican Guard arose to counter them. The Disciples are an extremist, human supremacist Sith cult that worships Vader as a Dark God and preaches the inferiority of non-humans. Meanwhile, the Guard is a radical revolutionary movement that sees itself as the vanguard of the common people and is dedicated to overthrowing the Force theocracies. Due to the many atrocities committed by Force-Users, they see the Force as a malignant curse.
The Unchained are a group of Tephriki exiles united by one thing: their shared experience as prisoners in the Dominion of Light's concentration camps. By and large, they used to be inmates of the Liberation Education Centre or Serene Springs. Both were forced labour camps and brainwashing centres run by the Jedi Inquisition, the ideological thought police and state security agency of the Dominion. The first camp was liberated by Firemane during a brief, but intense campaign against the Dominion. The second, meanwhile, was freed by a prisoners' revolt and a Firemane assault on the camp.
Phoebe, the leader of the Serene Springs uprising, has emerged as the de facto leader of the Unchained, in spite of it being the smaller camp. There is a high proportion of Force-Users among the Unchained, as the Serene Springs camp was meant to hold Force-Users. However, their degree of Force training varies. Some were trained by the Dominion, Vaderites or minor sects, but many only possess a limited understanding of the Force. A grey Force philosophy is quite prevalent. This is not surprising since most members were burnt by the extremes of light and dark. Those Force-Sensitive Unchained from the Dominion tend to train and work in groups, while those from the Sith or the Republican Guard tend to distrust groups and prefer to have a single, trusted teacher.
The backgrounds of the Unchained are rather diverse. Most are former citizens of the Dominion, but one can also find people from Vaderite or Republican Guard territory. One can find former Jedi who were sent to the camps due to accusations of heresy, but also people who tried to escape the totalitarian theocracy and its drive to control every aspect of their lives. This diversity has been the cause of tension, though there is a bond due to their shared experience of suffering in the camps. In the end, they are all outcasts who have been rejected by their respective factions, and have now been thrust into a whole new world. The Unchained tend to speak Basic, but Tephrike's long isolation has corrupted it. Thus they speak it with a heavy brogue. Most of them are sterile, though Firemane has provided medical treatments to restore their lost fertility. In many cases these operations have been successful. They have also had to adjust to modern technology, as Tephrike has been isolated for many centuries. This is particularly pertinent in the case of spaceflight, as almost none of the Unchained had left their homeworld until Firemane came. Rightly untrusting of Firemane, the Unchained have formed their own military forces, called the Legion of the Oppressed and Exploited.
Phoebe uses a combination of respect, diligence, and personal example to hold the group together. While not the most inspirational orator, her word carries a lot of weight since she spearheaded the Serene Springs uprising. She is also very resolute in representing the interests of her people and is very protective of their distinct identity. Elpsis' status among the Unchained is a bit peculiar. The young Firemane is an outsider, as she is one of the space people and was not born on Tephrike. However, she was also imprisoned in Serene Springs among the prisoners and brainwashed by the Dominion. For a while, she was 'Jedi Roxane', until she was able to snap out of her conditioning and turn on her tormentors. Elpsis was not involved in the planning for an uprising and did not know about it. However, her actions served as a catalyst and she played a major role in leading it to victory.
As a result, the Unchained have largely accepted her as a member. From a pragmatic perspective, this is also a way to curry favour with Firemane, since she is the daughter of the corporation's ruling couple. Howevere, there are also many Unchained who resent the fact that Firemane withdrew from Tephrike after they had saved the first family's daughter, instead of continuing the war until the Dominion had been ground into dust. At the same time, a few of the Unchained have latched on to her as a sort of protector figure. The young Firemane has tried to navigate this potential minefield by offering help to those who want it and being an advocate for the Tephriki, but refusing to be treated as someone who is less worthy or has to prove herself to them.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Firemane has allowed the Unchained to set up a small settlement on Arkas called Liberty. It operates as an independent commune. The Emancipator, a Frontier Class Corvette, serves as a mobile, operational headquarters that allows them to go off into the stars for trade and the conduct field operations.
Domain: Minimal. They have a strong connection to escaped Tephrike, but do not really have much in the area of control.
Notable Assets: Their assets are minimal. As mentioned above, they have a ship, which is their main asset. Firemane has allowed them the use of an island on Arkas, along with its resources. They own a cloning facility in Liberty. They make money by producing cloned limbs or organs for clients, but clones themselves are citizens and not for sale. Furthermore, they maintain an asteroid base called the Citadel of the Voidstrikers. It is meant to be a staging ground for raids on Tephrike.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: The hierarchy is rather flat. The Unchained are an extremely new group and have been burnt pretty badly by authoritarian power structures. Nonetheless, they recognise they need some form of organisation. The Majiles, a general assembly, is the highest organ. The delegates are elected by the people and have an imperative and recallable mandate. Moreover, the Unchained have two leaders, who bear the title of Advocate. Each is elected separately by popular vote on a one member, one vote basis. Each Advocate possesses veto power over the other. This provides a check on abuse of power or ill-advised policies, but carries the risk of gridlock and political paralysis. To limit that a veto can be overturned by the council. Typically, the dual leaders handle defence or peacetime issues on a rotating basis. So one commands the ship for a while then comes back to administer the colony, then does diplomacy. The assembly has the power to impeach an Advocate for high crimes and misdemeanours. To pass laws, a majority vote within the Majiles is required. Councillors not in attendance will automatically abstain but can specify a proxy vote to take their place in a legislative session assuming they have legitimate reason to do so, such as medical reasons, travel, call up for service in the militia etc. Councillors who repeatedly fail to participate in person without good reason must be recalled, necessitating a by-election to fill the vacant seat. The business of the council is supervised by a presidium, a legislative committee elected by the Majiles to act on its behalf when it's not in session.
As part of their executive functions, the Advocates are responsible for carrying into effect the laws and decrees of the Majiles, which directs their actions. The Majiles also controls the purse strings, which gives it a powerful lever since it is in charge of the budget. Right now the Unchained are a fairly small group, but as they expand, the idea is that settlements will each get their own Advocates and assemblies, but the central leadership will be elected by the community as a whole. Anything that can be handled on the local level should be delegated downward. Phoebe is one of the Advocates and unofficially the more senior one, though this does not mean she always gets her way. Her leadership role is based less on formal rank and more on personal example, charisma, respect and consensus. Certain types of measures are voted on by all adult members. This is limited to very big decisions though. Everyday matters are handled by representatives voted by the people because calling a referendum on every measure would lead to constant gridlock, voter fatigue and apathy.
As detailed below, the economy is dominated by workers' cooperatives and the like, though privately owned businesses are seen as acceptable on a very small scale. The central leadership is still responsible for monitoring the unions, ensuring they're sufficiently democratic, and investigating abuses of power. Moreover, it enforces regulations to ensure democratised workplaces still follow them. Just because the workers are running things doesn't mean they won't cut corners, treat their own poorly, disregard or simply be unaware of safety standards or view them as getting in the way or use deceitful business practices. And backroom deals are still very much part of politics.
Membership: Largely limited to Tephriki, though as of late they have opened their ranks to accepting 'galaxy' clones fleeing enslavement, as well as non-clone victims of oppression such as escaped slaves. The original members are Tephriki prisoners freed by Firemane during its campaign. But members can come from any of the three main groups on the planet. However recruits need someone to vouch for their identity so that they do not let moles or traitors into their ranks. There are no racial barriers, and the majority of the Unchained are aliens. An example is Advocate Phoebe, a Nautolan. As a result, the Unchained really hate human supremacism, 'Human High Culture' and the like.
Climate: The climate inside the group is a rugged but cooperative one. The Unchained are quite tight-knit, drawing upon their shared experience of suffering and struggle for survival in the camps. Murals and posters of martyrs are a frequent sight in their settlements, and communal festivities and remembrance ceremonies are common. Infants and young children are commonly cared for in communal creches during the working day. However, they are no monolith. For starters, the reason why they ended up in the camps are quite diverse. Many are from the Dominion of Light, but a few former prisoners were born in Sith or Republican Guard territory. Indeed, some used to be part of the system before they themselves were targeted by it and ended up imprisoned alongside the people they may have locked up. This has been the cause of friction.
It is pertinent to note that while the majority of the Unchained are innocent people who were unjustly persecuted by a totalitarian regime, their ranks also include people of a darker, more morally repugnant character, such as former Vaderites. There is also a divide those who were conceived through cloning, which is commonly practiced in the Dominion and to a lesser degree among the Vaderites, and those who came into the world through natural means. Tephriki clones call themselves Pureborn and refer to those who were born the normal way as Randoms. For their part, non-clones have a tendency of referring to the so called Pureborn as Tankborn or Tankies. Their culture is a practical one. There is a strong emphasis on military preparedness and self-reliance.
The Unchained still practice cloning, but have adopted a more liberal clone culture that is supposed to treat each clone as an individual rather than a duplicate. It is supposed to do away with the forced aging and servitude normally associated with the practice. Templates are expected to treat a clone akin to a younger sibling. The Unchained promote diversity by mixing different clone batches together and encourage each clone to make themselves unique, whether it is hair, clothing or attitudes. Templates are expected to be involved in the lives of their clones, but without forcing a certain way of life on them. A template who shows no interest in their clone is regarded as similar to a neglectful parent or elder sibling. Some researchers promote a system where DNA from several people is combined into a 'clone', so they are hybrids, rather than straight duplicates of a single person. The Fellowship of Generational Health and Resilience is the group responsible for growing and raising new clones.
The Church of the Unified Spirit is an important religious movement among the Unchained, with a focus on meeting the spiritual needs of clones and their templates. It preaches an inclusive form of spirituality based on solidarity, mutual aid and reverence for the spirits. Central to the Church's beliefs is the spiritual connection between a clone and template. Both spirits are believed to be interconnected, sharing a body and unity of purpose, but possessing free will. All clones from the same line share a mystical bond with each other, but have free will to make their own judgements. All who share the body share both a unique and joined spirit. The conjoined souls of each clone lineage form a covenant. However, the Unchained have freedom of religion, so belonging to the faith is a choice.
Unchained society favours cooperatives, in other worlds, collectivised enterprises run by economic democracy, and very small-scale, private businesses. Under this model, workers own the business and participate in its financial success on the basis of their labour contribution to the cooperative. The workers have representation on and vote for the board. The theory is that cooperatives will be organised to serve the needs of the worker-owners by generating benefits for them rather than external investors, and thus realise the principle of using business as a force for social good. The model has several pitfalls in the theory about how effective it is, but they're small enough and cohesive enough not to hit the biggest issues yet. Moreover, there is a decentralised planning agency composed of a mixture of people from the central leadership and representatives from workers' councils, with the goal of facilitating economic planning for military and civilian needs and stop the selfishness of more prosperous economic sectors by using their profits to help others. This has, of course, also generated friction and, at the end of the day, opportunities for lobbying and cronyism. After all, sentient beings are self-interested, and their nature doesn't just change. It's not a system that generates incredible wealth and corruption is a problem, but it generally meets the people's needs.
The Unchained's soldiers have a 'union', which has duties such as providing advice on legal concerns, and disciplimary matters, education about the rights and duties of soldiers (including the duty to refuse illegal orders). Moreover, it serves as a mechanism of presenting grievances to the elected council, and thereby serves as an advocate on matters such as housing, welfare, and veterans' aid. However, it has no other powers. The Unchained like direct democracy, but early experiments in taking it to an extreme worked out poorly. So it doesn't have the power to call for a strike, industrial action or elect and recall the military command.
'Companion' is a common form of address between members of the Unchained. They also use it for outsiders who are considered well-disposed towards the group. It is supposed to convey their egalitarian spirit and rejection of oppressive hierarchies. One thing that outsiders familiar with Tygaran culture will notice immediately is that many Unchained have adopted Qadiri style naming practices. The Dominion disliked family units, and so clones were simply given occupational surnames. For example, a technician called Mara would simply be called Mara Technician...and all her clone siblings would have an extremely similar given name. It has not become uncommon among clones to adopt the Qadiri middle name 'Jai' or 'Jal', depending on whether they are male or female, and the given name of their template. 'Jai/Jal' means 'of' and they are literally made from their template.
Those who are on bad terms with their template or who want to empathise their individuality pick a different name, such as 'Jai Anhala', which means 'of freedom' in the Qadiri language. Mothers and fathers are called maternals and paternals respectively. The Unchained empathise tolerance and freedom of expression. They are refugees who fled a totalitarian regime, and so they obviously do not want to succumb to the same evil. However, this must be tempered with loyalty to the community. Members are expected to do their part and strive for the betterment of the group. As a result, there is little tolerance for people who refuse to pull their weight despite being in a position to do so. Members viewed as idle and unwilling to change their situation are liable to be exiled or conscripted for public works projects. The Unchained aspire to provide equal access not just to political and cultural rights, but also economic and social rights such as access to adequate food, housing, education, health, care in old age and sickness, water and sanitation, and work. However, budgetary constraints exist, and some funds do vanish into the coffers of self-serving careerists. However, their culture promotes the foundation of grassroots, mutual aid groups to provide those in need with relief, food and medical care.
The Unchained have a preference for restorative justice as restitution for minor crimes, but this does not apply to capital crimes such as murder and treason. The group encourages the foundation of communes and cooperatives, where property is held in common by those who have a stake in it. There is some overlap with the economic model espoused by the Republican Guard, but the Unchained dismiss this comparison with the argument that the Guard is still run by an authoritarian junta. Having experienced what it means to have no control over their lives, the Unchained do not want to be in a position where they are at someone else's mercy. On average, the Unchained are wary of outsiders.
While Firemane rescued them, it did not do so out of altruism. The corporation went to war against the Dominion because its Jedi leaders betrayed them, attacked their diplomatic delegation and took the daughter of their leaders captive. Rescuing the prisoners was a welcome byproduct of their campaign of retribution, but not its objective. If Elpsis had been held elsewhere, Firemane troops would not assaulted either of the camps. This does not mean the Unchained are ungrateful, but they know they cannot expect off-worlders, no matter how benign they might be, to go through fire for them unless they have something to offer.
The Unchained do not like Jedi at all. Indeed, they are rather hostile to them. They identify Jedi with the Dominion, their enemy and oppressor. This is understandable due to their experiences on their homeworld. Thus it might not be safe for a Jedi to walk among the Unchained, even if said Jedi abhorrs the tyrannical practices of the Dominion. This may seem bigoted, but it is a natural reaction to what they endured, as the Jedi Order they know is a totalitarian dictatorship. Indeed, it would not be inaccurate to call it the love child of Joruus C'baoth, Atris and the Jedi Covenant. There is also a very strong anti-Sith sentiment. In short, the Unchained treat both Jedi and Sith as enemies. To further their understanding of the Force, some of the group's Force-Sensitives have joined the Young Flames, the cadet organisation of Firemane's Force Order. The Unchained allow this, but expect the recruits to share their knowledge with the group and not lose sight of who they are and where they come from.
Fostering a culture of solidarity is important for the Unchained. One way to foster is through remembrance ceremonies where they commemorate those who suffered and died in the camps on Tephrike. Typically, there is a communal meeting at a memorial where they read out names of the dead. People recite the dead of martyrs and sing. It is also a chance for clones to show they are united, but distinct. Coordinated hymns are sung by each clone 'type' but they sing slightly different versions to emphasise they are similar but different.
Reputation: Firemane 'created' the Unchained as an inadvertent by-product of their campaign. They view them as useful, but also as a group to watch. From Firemane's persective, Elpsis' attachment to them is both a blessing and a curse. All three main factions on Tephrike dislike the Unchained to varying degrees. To the Vaderites and the Dominion they are traitors and heretics. The Republican Guard believes that if they truly wanted to fight for freedom, they would have joined its ranks instead of going over to the off-worlders. Republican Guard leaders are concerned that the Unchained might try to influence Firemane in ways that are at variance with the goals of the revolution, or conversely that Firemane could impose them on the planet as puppets.
Curios: The escapees keep their official papers and broken shock collars as a memory. A ring or a necklace with a broken chain symbol is a common curio.
Rules: Their rules are fairly simple. The Unchained are on their own. Others might help them for a time, but nobody owes them anything. Reality dictates that they should protect their own interests and members above all else. Any negotiations or deals with Firemane or others have to be put to a vote. For understandable reasons, the Unchained are pretty fierce in dealing with any traitors to their groups. Execution is the main form of punishment. There can be no compromise in the struggle to preserve their freedom from those who would put them in chains again. If they do not remain united, they will be prey. For this reason, able-bodied adults must serve in the volunteer militia, and participate in regular training and musters to keep skills sharp.
The group is very hostile towards Jedi and Sith. Joining either of these cults is prohibited. Their charter enshrines basic sentient rights, as well as democratic processes. All political officials are elected, and the assembly must act on referendums if they receive a majority vote. Their charter enshrines the right to strike and bans strikebreaking...but also mandates a duty to work for those who are able and of working age. The formation of trade unions, mutual aid groups and neighbourhood committees is both legal and encouraged. It is the law that of the two Advocates, one must always be a Non-Force-User. The group has instituted wealth caps. Anything in excess of the cap is supposed redistributed to the poor.
The Unchained are still in the process of developing their beliefs, but overall a grey Force philosophy predominates. They wrongly - yet understandably - associate the Light with the oppressive Dominion. The Dark Side, meanwhile, is largely identified with the evil perpetrated by the Sith. Many of the Unchained have also experienced the cruel sadism and oppressive rule of the Vaderites, which has affected their perception of things. As a result, Force adepts are cautioned against succumbing to the two extremes, Light and Dark. In the view of the Unchained, both have only brought them harm. One could broadly compare it to how the ancient Je'daii perceived the Force. However, they are more of a reaction to the crimes committed by the Dominion and the Sith on Tephrike than a conscious emulation. The Church of the Unified Spirit provides a spiritual grounding for many, based on reverence for the spirits, ancestor worship and the mystical bond between clones and template.
The Unchained are not above killing and striking at their enemies when required. The ideology of the Unchained empathises freedom, self-determination and self-reliance. Freedom is the most valuable good, but it is never free. It must be purchased with blood. Their political beliefs verge into anarchism, as they are sick of governments and foreign-imposed laws telling them what to do. Thus the Unchained have endorsed a form of direct democracy, as none of the three governments they came from gave them any real choice. As a result, they have a strong distrust of centralised, bureaucratic governments. According to them, a government that is too far removed from its citizens will turn into an oppressor. Their leaders are all elected, and while they can be re-elected they do not have to be. The group advocates government by citizens' assemblies, whose members have a recallable mandate. Representatives must enact policies in accordance with their mandates.
Each workplace, district, or barracks should choose delegates to represent them in a local assembly. Assuming the group expands, multiple assemblies are supposed to form a confederation. It is postulated that the members of the assemblies will be better equipped to accurately represent the people's will, as they are closer to the populace they are supposed to serve. Moreover, the charter stipulates compulsory voting, which means all eligible citizens are required to register and vote in elections, unless they have a legitimate reason such as illness etc.
The charter mandates the implementation of some form of economic democracy in businesses unless they are very small-scale. The argument is that if one lets people vote in society on matters that affect their livelihood, then by extension any big organisation that can reasonably expect the membership of most of society should be democratic in nature and voting should be equally weighed, as far as is reasonable. The military is an exception because, at the end of the day, almost no one wants to die if the alternative is hanging back in a comfortable defence position. Hence why armies have command and control. Individual failings disappear in collective strength. Whereas in a democratised military, the individual failings would be paramount. If one has to have a chat with everyone in a middle of a firefight to get their opinions, disaster will ensue. The same applies if one militia unit votes to refuse to attack, resulting in allies losing their lives.
As mentioned above, the Unchained have two leaders called Advocate, who are both elected directly by the people. Both are supposed to cooperate, but also provide check on each other. Since the Unchained are still a rather small group, a lot of this is theory. So far their ideas work on a local level, but only time will how well they hold up should the Unchained ever establish domain over a significant area. The citizens must be consulted on major matters of state, such as war, settlement, citizen or constitution changes, and a majority vote of the citizens and the council is required. But the elected council handles regular business. Of course, this requirement can be waived in an extraordinary emergency situation. The Unchained will not hold a popular vote if they are being attacked.
Goals: In the short-term the Unchained seek to find a safe haven for their people, while preserving their freedom and identity. In the long-term, they wish to free more of their fellow Tephriki and overthrow the powers that put them in bondage. Ideally, they would like to influence Firemane policy into a direction that is conducive to achieving these goals.
MEMBERS
Rhea - Rhea is another survivor of Tephrike's brutal internecine strife. Born in an agricultural collective run by the Dominion, she experienced hardship from a young age. The Dominion was a tyrannical government and the peasants were exploited by the ruling cabal. Their failed collectivist policies led to famine. Her parents were murdered by the Vaderites, a faction of Vader-worshipping human supremacists. Their only crime was being Rattataki. Rhea was supposed to be murdered to, but managed to survive the massacre because her mother fell on her to shield her. She survived in the only way that possible in that situation: by pretending to be dead. She bore the weight of Stormtroopers walking across her body while they looked for and shot survivors, remaining motionless. Perhaps this was an unconscious manifestation of her talent for body control. When she struggled to breathe, she instinctively drew upon the Force.
Rhea hid in the forest. She was almost feral when the Dominion found her. She was drafted into the labour corps, but inducted into the Windian Jedi Order after her Force powers were discovered. There she was indoctrinated. It gave her a chance of revenge against the Sith, but she also suffered discrimination due to not being a clone raised in a Dominion institution. The Grand Inquisitor Antonius took an interest in her, seeing her as a useful tool. He promised her justice, but actually turned her into his living weapon and slave. He was a cruel, manipulative man. Rhea looks back at this time with shame. She made an escape attempt, but was caught and broken in one of the Inquisition's brainwashing camps.
The Grand Inquisitor almost succeeded in doing the same with Elpsis. However, she broke her conditioning at the last moment and killed him. Rhea sided with the sky woman, turning on the Inquisition and the Dominion. Now she has followed her into the stars, though she intends to come back to Tephrike. Rhea is a troubled, disturbed individual with a lot of anger in her. She hates Sith, but is also prejudiced against Jedi because the Dominion ones are the only ones she knows. However, Rhea is also a supporter of the direct democracy her fellow refugees, the Unchained, have implemented. She sees freedom as a valuable good that must be defended with blood.
There is a sense of shame to her for 'allowing' herself to be manipulated and controlled. This results in a fear that it might happen again and an anger which manifests in trying to prevent it. Rhea is suspicious of others and slow to trust, but a loyal comrade. She is introverted, but observant. Rhea is devoted to Elpsis, but does not extend this to Firemane as an institution. She divides her time between serving in Elpsis' platoon and helping the Unchained. When they return to Tephrike, she intends to join them. She has formed an unlikely friendship with Nyssa Vykaris. This might seem strange at first since Nyssa is a practicing Sith who believes in Pureblood supremacy. However, Purebloods are all but unknown on Tephrike, where being a Sith is mostly identified with being a human supremacist space wizard. Moreover, Nyssa hates most other Sith, and does not lie, which Rhea appreciates.
Phoebe - unlike many Unchained, Phoebe is not a clone, but a natural. Indeed, the Nautolan didn't even grow up in the Dominion. She had the misfortune of being a Force-User who was born into Republican Guard territory. The rebels viewed Force-Sensitives as cursed, and so she was locked away in an asylum. A Dominion agent approached her, offering her a better life in the Jedi utopia. She fell for his lies and organised an escape with a group of fellow prisoners. At first the Dominion was welcoming, but then she was forced to realise that she had exchanged one prison for a possiby even worse one. Betrayed by the Dominion agent, she was imprisoned after sacrificing herself to save her friends. Phoebe emerged as a leader among the prisoners, becoming one of the camp elders. This allowed her to help her people in small ways, but also forced her to make harsh compromises, making her complicit in the system of oppression.
Secretly, she was plotting an organised escape and began to gather a group of conspirators. Their moment came when the star people came to Tephrike. Phoebe was a leader of the prison revolt that was sparked when Elpsis battled the Grand Inquisitor, who had come to gloat about his newest slave. The rebels suffered serious casualties, but were able to prevail with the help of the outsiders. Later Phoebe and her companions helped them against Vaderite demons. However, she hasn't forgotten that their rescue was incidental.
Phoebe keeps her own counsel and distrusts the outsiders. Their cooperation with the Republican Guard and their authoritarianism doesn't endear them to her either. While she doesn't excel as a public performer, she is a canny, capable leader, using a combination of respect, diligence, and personal example to hold the group together. Her word carries a lot of weight in the council. She is also very resolute in representing the interests of her people and is very protective of their distinct identity. These qualities have resulted in her being elected as one of two Advocates. She focuses on foreign policy matters.
Makrosi (NPC) - the founder of the Church of the Unified Spirit. He is a male Caamasi clone who used to be an acolyte of the Followers of the Divine Ashla. As an acolyte to a more senior cleric, he used what limited influence he had to help spare clones judged defective by putting them to work in jobs to protect them being purged. Makrosi experienced a spiritual revelation during the Netherworld Event while trapped in the Forest of Serenity, a powerful but twisted light side nexus. Markrosi still bears the scars from being scorched by its blinding light for not meeting its standards of purity. He also suffered mental scars when the nexus sought to cleanse his mind of emotion and assimilate him into its telepathic meld. But he was aided by the spirit of an ancient Jedi who had inadvertently helped bring the nexus into being during a battle with the Vaderites, and been forced to watch as Tephrike's Jedi turned into something unrecognisable. Markrosi became the Force ghost's pupil.
He claims to have connected with the spirits of clones who had been buried here or found wanting by the nexus. Visions of the Nether and his experiences in the forest convinced him that Tephrike's world soul was fundamentally diseased. The lies and deceit of Bogan had to be rejected, but even Ashla could not provide all the answers, for the light had been tainted. Clones being brought into this world were like trapped souls, but could strive to heal the world through good works. However, his new insights were not welcomed, and he was branded a heretic by the Inquisition and detained in a 'thought transformation' camp for having strayed from the true path of Ashla. Makrosi is a good public speaker and an inspiring preacher. Makrosi's position is that of first among equals among the presbyters. While no councillor, Makrosi does not shy away from addressing political and social issues, and his word possesses a lot of moral authority.
Thal Garna (NPC) - Thal is an Umbaran clone who endured Dominion and Vaderite tyranny. Growing up under Dominion rule, she was being trained for a medical role, hence she was called Thal Medicus. But then the town she lived was occupied by the Vaderites. Her siblings were killed in bombings and pogroms, but Thal managed to survive and use a combination of false, back-dated papers, makeup and contacts to assume the identity of a human of 'questionable purity'. She could not pretend to be a 'pure human', but was able to pass sufficiently to be judged to be 'half-cast'. True to their absurd human supremacist ideology, the Vaderites imposed strict segregation between humans and non-humans. 'Pure xenos' such as Twi'leks fared the worst. But due to her disguise Thal was able to travel between the 'xenos residential quarters' and the wider 'human' city, which comprised the better part of town.
As the Vaderites round-up and cruelty to Twi'leks and other 'impure' elements began, Thal helped in a makeshift hospital. She faced a moral dilemma as a medical helper, as the Vaderites rounded up 'useless eaters' for transport to a mass killing centre. Before using her own 'ticket to freedom', she administered lethal doses of morphine to children too sick to travel. She knew they would not survive the journey in a crowded chattel wagon and wanted to spare them from suffering. But she was wracked with guilt over her actions. At the same time, she served as a courier for the Twi'lek resistance, carrying money, false documents, ammunition and guns to people in hiding and provided rudimentary medical help to a rebel cell hiding in the forests outside the city. She was able to keep her head down and survive when the Dominion retook the city after bloody fighting.
However, when the old masters sought to reimpose their rule and punish real and imagined traitors, she was denounced as a collaborator, even though people tried to testify in her favour despite the risks. Spontaneity and individuality were dangerous, so Thal was deported to a 're-education camp' to 'transform her thoughts', where she ended up working in the medical ward. Conditions in the camp were appalling, and abuse and terror were rampant. However, she tried to help other prisoners who were in dire need of medical aid. She ended up getting involved with the Unchained. What she endured has left her with deep trauma. In terms of personality, she is guarded, aloof and withdrawn, but incredibly brave. As is common for Dominion clones, Thal used to have an occupational surname. Back then she was called Thal Medicus. Garna was the name of a friend who was murdered by the Vaderites, and she has taken her name to honour her. She is one of the presbysters of the Church of the Unified Spirit.
Jughar (NPC) - formerly called Jughar Scientist. A Devaronian male, genetic engineer and the head scientist of the Fellowship of Generational Health and Resilience. He oversees the biological aspects of the projects. He has no truck with mad scientists obsessed with unethical experiments of dubious efficacy. Jughar habours regrets of his own from his life on Tephrike. A former academic from the Dominion of Light whose research into improving genetics was deemed 'undesirable'. As a Dominion researcher, he was involved in a scientific project to create 'next generation clones' for the clone army. On paper, the project was successful. However, the clones' genome turned out to be less than stable. They did their duty well, but then poor health and genetic defects caught up with them. They were no longer useful to the state and treated poorly since the result was an embarrassment to the higher-ups in the division that had engineered them.
When the clones tried to protest against their unfair treatment, they vanished. The event scarred Jughar a lot. It reminded him of Sith eugenics policies, but he was told to keep his mouth shut. A testimony he gave during an inquiry was distorted to suit the regime. Feeling guilty, he got involved in the Hundred Flowers Movement. This movement derived its name from a expression attributed to the Grandmaster, which said that "the policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend is designated to promote the flourishing of the arts and the victory of Ashla." Citizens were being encouraged to openly express their opinion about the regime and criticise its leaders.
Jughhar led a group of intellectuals who created an Ashla Wall, which they covered in posters and letters criticising the Windian Jedi Order. Like many participants, Jughar did not demand the overthrow of the Dominion. Instead he attacked the lack of accountability, the cruelty of past mass campaigns, the privileges of the leaders and the stiffling of the sciences. He advocated reform, not revolution. But his public criticism made him a target for his fellow scientists. He made the mistake of defending a fellow scientist against accusations of having succumbed to the darkside. When he and some others followed an invitation from alleged reformists, they were arrested. They were labelled 'poisonous weeds'. Jughar was sent to a closed city so that the government could still use his expertise, but later sent to Serene Springs. He was freed during Firemane's campaign.
Mara Jai Lara - A human clone, cryptologist and slicer from Tephrike. Her template was a famous codebreaker called Lara who had been highly decorated by the Dominion before being arrested under bogus charges of 'heresy'. Mara was trained as a comms technician. When the Netherworld War brought the nation to the brink, she helped it achieve victory over its foes by deciphering Republican Guard codes. Thus the Grand Army was forewarned and able to mount a successful defence of Fortress Purity. Elpsis encountered and befriended her during the early stages of the expedition when Firemane stormed the Dominion's lunar base. Though raised to believe in and support the Dominion, Mara turned on it after they betrayed a Firemane diplomatic delegation. She was an important asset for locating and saving Elpsis. She is now a devoted member of the Unchained.
Polite, timid and bit uptight, she is very kind and loyal to those she takes into her confidence. Mara is no fighter, but good tech support. Privately, she feels a lot of guilt about 'remaining blind to the truth' and still wants to free her fellow clones on Tephrike. She took the idealistic values of the Followers of the Divine Ashla seriously. Seeking a new spiritual path and sense of community, she became an early member of the Church of the Unified Spirit. She takes its precepts about a liberal clone culture and is eager to continue her clone line. Mara does work for the Fellowship of Generational Health and Resilience, a group responsible for growing and raising clones, as well as vetting potential templates. She holds her template in good memory, which is reflected in her new surname.
Mel Jai Anhala - A Mirialan clone who grew up in the Dominion of Light. Her template Melania Reporter was a successful propandist for the Ministry of Enlightenment, and so Mel was destined to work there, too. By Dominion standards, her upbring was privileged. When she fell sick as a child, her template pulled strings to make sure she could see a Jedi healer. At first she was a loyal worker, writing stories and pamphlets that exalted the Dominion. However, she developed doubts when she was called in to write a smear piece on a general who had been framed for treason. She confided her doubts to a colleague called Myra Technician. The two started an illicit relationship.
However, their smear piece was not considered damning enough and suspicion fell on them. Myra was sent to a camp, while Mel was banished from the capital to work in a collective farm and then join a military propaganda company. She experienced a Force awakening during the Netherworld crisis and was accused of having concealed powers she did not know about. Assigned to a penal unit, she experienced the horror of war, the callousness of her Jedi masters and the cruelty of the Vaderites, and deserted. She made a living as a smuggler before being arrested and sent to the Serene Springs brainwashing gulag.
There she eventually joined a group of rebellious prisoners. They formed the nucleus of the Unchained. Today, Mel is a close confidante of Phoebe. She serves as a consultant for the Fellowship and has helped them create a curriculum for young clones. While cynical and rough around the edges, Mel is a believer. Mel feels strong disdain for her template, who has become a senior functionary in the Dominion's government. For this reason, she has taken the name Jai Anhala, a Qadiri name that means 'from/of liberty/freedom', and is common among freed slaves who don't take the names of their emancipators.
Her background as a smuggler gives her a decent grasp of business, basic market economics and logistics. She has started setting up a trading network, using legal and underworld contacts to procure what the group needs. She also helps assess the values of booty acquired on raids and ensures a fair division of the spoils. Other than that and her work for the Fellowship, she acts as Phoebe's troubleshooter.
CC-0066 "Renegade" (NPC) - Renegade is a man out of time, a relic from a bygone era. From a certain point of view, it could be argued that he's an ancestor of the Dominion clones. The Dominion claims inspiration from Mace Windu and the Clone Army...while totally misunderstanding the old Jedi's values and way of life. Renegade is one of the clone troopers who once served the Old Republic, fighting during the Clone Wars. Having been programmed for a command role, he manifested a degree of individuality. But then he 'rebelled', from a certain point of view, but not in the usual sense. While some Jedi generals such as Obi-Wan Kenobi were competent leaders who worked to build a rapport with their men, not all were.
Renegade's unit had the misfortune of being commanded by a Jedi Padawan with chosen one syndrome, no training in military leadership and no desire to learn from 'mundanes' and 'fleshdroids'. The Jedi wasn't evil, but inept and kept ordering suicidal death charges that pointlessly decimated the unit. After one too many, Renegade went rogue and fragged his commander. As far as he was concerned, he wasn't committing treason, but staying true to his oath to the Republic by removing a threat. The Jedi captured him, and started to examine him to find out what had happened. But while they were carrying out an enquiry, Palpatine's minions grew concerned that they might inadvertently find out about the clone's contingency orders. So instead they arranged for him him to be frozen in carbonite on the grounds of mental instability. By which time so much had happened he was forgotten.
And so Renegade slept through the great upheavals, triumphs and tragedies of the following centuries. Until a couple Qadiri explorers stumbled upon him by chance while exploring an ancient industrial facility they happened to come across. They didn't know anything about ancient, galactic history, but were able to nurse him back to health after waking him up and guided him to Arkas. There, he decided to inspect the Unchained. Initially he was largely there to bond with some other clones and find out what happend in the past centuries, but he ended up sticking around and has been training their militias. Meeting one of their 'ancestors' has been illuminating for the clones among the Unchained, as he can give insight into what it was really like. Moreover, he is a professional soldier...who is very motivated to fight Sith and hypocritical Jedi.
Renegade is a grim, stoic man, and a capable tactician, though inexperienced in strategic command. He was incredibly vexed when he learned that his fellow clone troopers had been phased out by Palpatine in favour of Stormtroopers, regarding them as 'substandard'. He is still more distant to birth-born, finding it more difficult to connect with them. As a soldier of the clone army, he viewed himself and his brothers as a breed apart from the population. They weren't 'humans', they weren't like the civilians and not droids. The idea that the clones have an exclusive brotherhood has stayed with him.
Zassekk Jai Zassa (NPC) - Originally called Zass Soldier. All species are equal in the glorious Dominion of Light, but it expects all its citizens to be the same. Cultural differences are suspicious because they reek of bourgeous nationalism. Zassekk is a Trandoshan clone and former soldier. Her main job is to go ahead and interview/test potential template candidates. Her former job makes her used to analysing recruits. She used to serve the Dominion in a similar capacity. The Dominion maintains the so called Blessed Lineage Project. Select individuals such as particularly accomplished workers, soldiers, technicians and Jedi are selected for it to be cloned so that their skills are not lost. However, one of the people she selected as a template was found to have 'unwelcome' ideas.
The Grandmaster and the Windian Jedi could do no wrong, so it must have been a conspiracy. She had already antagonised a bigwig by rejecting a candidate whose accomplishments had been grossly exaggerated to score political points. Because the Dominion is benevolent, she was sent to a penal unit to atone and reflect on her sins. Most of her unit was wiped out during the battle at Fortress Purity. Equipped with substandard gear, they were sent on a forlorn hope charge and given bombs to throw themselves at the enemy. Zassekk was badly injured, but managed to rid herself off the explosives that had been strapped to her and throw it at Dominion soldiers instead of allowing herself to be turned into a sentient bomb. She was able to help Firemane by giving them information on the enemy.
The natural regenerative traits of a Trandoshan have helped her recover from her injuries, but she still walks with a limp. Zassekk has adopted a more traditional Trandoshan name to signify her breaking with the stiffling ways of the Dominion. Zassekk is active in the Unchained's militia and provides training for recruits at drills, but her primary role is picking and vetting templates for the Fellowship. A frank woman, she has continued her habit of antagonising self-important bigwigs. Moreover, she has used the opportunity to reconnect with the culture of her people by meeting 'galaxy' Trandoshans. One of them is Drassk Grobressk, a Trandoshan big game hunter Firemane keeps on retainer.
Elpsis Kerrigan - the 'young phoenix' and unwilling Firemane poster child. Elpsis' status among the Unchained is a bit peculiar. The young Firemane is an outsider, as she is one of the space people and was not born on Tephrike. However, she was also imprisoned in Serene Springs among the prisoners and brainwashed by the Dominion. For a while, she was 'Jedi Roxane', until she was able to snap out of her conditioning and turn on her tormentors. Elpsis was not involved in the planning for an uprising and did not know about it. However, her actions served as a catalyst and she played a major role in leading it to victory. Elpsis has donated money to the Unchained, drawing upon funds available to her as Siobhan's daughter, but dislikes it when her contribution is made public. She has her detractors, but is quite popular among the Unchained. There are calls to put her in charge of the expedition when the time comes to return to Tephrike.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The outbreak of the Gulag Virus had a profound impact on almost every inhabited world in the Galaxy. Galactic commerce came to an end, billions died from the plague and many more due to internal strife. Galactic governments collapsed and many planets succumbed to anarchy. The repercussions for Tephrike were extreme. The planet's fragile democracy had already been under fire due to racial and social tensions. Moreover, the planet was highly dependent on galactic trade. Things turned from bad to worse as the survivors warred amongst themselves.
Tephrike's small Jedi enclave tried to impose order and fight the darkness, but ended up becoming the very evil they fought against, while insisting that they were righteous. Influenced by a debased, warped interpretation of the old Jedi code, they sought to bring the planet under the control of a radical Jedi theocracy, the Dominion of Light, which took totalitarian control to new heights. Inevitably, there was opposition. Heretical Jedi turned on their masters and declared a dark crusade, forming a Sith cult that worshipped Vader as a god and believed all Force blind should be enslaved and treated as chattel. Both cultist factions were opposed by the Republican Guard, a secularist faction that drew a lot of its support from aquatic aliens, escaped clone slave-soldiers and Yuuzhan Vong. Despite its many internal convulsions, the Dominion of Light remained the dominant power on the planet.
When it was weakened by the Netherworld Event, the Republican Guard and the Vaderites launched an invasion. They scored several tactical successes, but ultimately their grand offensive ended in defeat and the Dominion regained its lost territory. However, while dominant, the Dominion was held back by infighting, an obsession with ideological purity and with exerting total control over its population. This led to many self-destructive economic and social policies. It is pertinent to note that despite its oppressive regime, the Dominion still had significant popular support. Without thousands upon thousands of common citizens willing to denounce their fellows as heretics, the Jedi Inquisition would have been unable to prosecute dissenters as successfuly as it did.
However, there were always outcasts. The Jedi Inquisition established a network of forced labour and re-education camps. So-called enemies of the Light were mobilised as a penal labour force that toiled in mines, built canals, bridges, fortifications and roads. The camps housed a wide range of convicts, ranging from petty criminals to political prisoners. The Liberation Education Centre was the largest camp. It acted as a sort of central hub for the camp system and housed the Main Administration of Camps.
Serene Springs, meanwhile, was set up as a holding facility for heretical Force-Users. Here they would toil, be questioned and subjected to an intense brainwashing programme to make them see the error in their ways and embrace the Light. Those who managed to reforge themselves were called the Repentant, who had been stripped of their old personalites by Jedi mentalists. Only a few prisoners reached this stage. Those who were released from prison and welcomed back into the embrace of the Windian Jedi Order were exploited by the Ministry of Enlightenment for propaganda purposes. Propagandists would liken them to Jedi Revan, who had fallen to the dark side but been born again as a servant of the Light. In truth, life in the camps was characterised by corruption, abuse, arbitrary violence and often back-breaking slave labour. The camp guards were taught to regard the prisoners as less than sentient, for they had been tainted by the dark side.
One of the inmates of Serene Springs was a young Nautolan woman called Phoebe. She had the misfortune of being a Force-User who was born into Republican Guard territory. The rebels viewed Force-Sensitives as cursed, and so she was locked away in an asylum. A Dominion agent approached her, offering her a better life in the Jedi utopia. She fell for his lies and organised an escape with a group of fellow prisoners. At first the Dominion was welcoming, but then she was forced to realise that she had exchanged one prison for a possiby even worse one. Betrayed by the Dominion agent, she was imprisoned after sacrificing herself to save her friends. Phoebe emerged as a leader among the prisoners, becoming one of the camp elders. This allowed her to help her people in small ways, but also forced her to make harsh compromises, making her complicit in the system of oppression.
When the Ministry of Enlightenment sent a team to make a 'documentary' about Serene Springs, the camp elders were responsible for making sure that the prisoners gave the right answers, looked clean and motivated and that the least presentable ones were hidden away. The documentary was a propaganda film. It showed remorseful inmates who were being re-educated by vigilant, but benign Inquisitors. Smiling prisoners thanked their captors for teaching them about the Light. The Inquisition oversaw filming and censored the film's contents.
It was difficult to get any reliable news about what was going on outside the camp. When the prisoners heard that 'Sithspawn demons' had arrived in outer space and attacked the glorious Dominion, most dismissed it as a tall tale. They were both right and wrong. In actuality the 'Sithspawn' were humans from a foreign corporation called Firemane. It had sent a delegation to negotiate with the Dominion, but the fanatical Grand Master, encouraged by Grand Inquisitor Antonius, had ordered his followers to ambush them. Phoebe did not see any of the outsiders until Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori was brought to the camp.
The young Firemane officer had been captured during the fighting. In response, Firemane declared war. The people in the camp were told that the Dominion was victorious on all fronts. According to propaganda broadcasts, the 'Hammers of Light' had destroyed the Sithspawn's warships. Elpsis was accompanied by Jedi Diona, who acted as her jailer. Phoebe gave little credence to stories about outsiders, but the Force told her that this girl was important. The Inquisition seemed fixated on her to the point of obsession. This helped take the heat off Phoebe and her group. Phoebe chose not to approach Elpsis or involve her in the plans for a rising. This turned out to be a smart decision.
However, their plans for escape assumed greater urgency because rumours said the camp might be 'evacuated'. Camp guards spoke in hushed whispers about how the Jedi Temple had been levelled. Phoebe slowly began to realise that the war was real, and that it might not be going the way the Dominion claimed it was. One of Phoebe's friends, a Mirialan called Mel, came under suspicion. She had been an important contact. A fellow prisoner called Harald denounced her and Elpsis, who had tried to destroy her Force collar after a harrowing brainwashing session. Mel was locked up and Elpsis was physically and mentally tortured until she gave in and was reborn as Jedi Roxane. Then one of Phoebe's fellow prisoners, who regularly cleaned one of the Inquisitor's offices, reported that the Grand Inquisitor was due to arrive.
Meanwhile, Firemane forced led by Major Tempest liberated the Liberation Education Centre. A number of prisoners died in the process, but most were freed. Moreover, Firemane slicers recovered vital data that led them to Serene Springs. Phoebe and her cabal had to accelerate their plans. But when the revolt happened, it did so spontaneously. Phoebe was labouring in the mines when she felt an eruption of Force power. Elpsis had turned on her captors after being ordered to start brainwashing Diona, who had stopped believing in the system. The pair attacked the Grand Inquisitor and his minions. Phoebe saw guards approach her and her crew. It was sensible to assume that Mel might have broken under interrogation.
Phoebe beat a guard with a pickaxe. Other prisoners followed suit. Meanwhile, Tempest's assault force had engaged the Inquisition forces outside of the camp. The camp guards were caught off-guard. Many prisoners were malnourished and only a few had combat training, but they fought nonetheless. Phoebe managed to rid herself of her collar and grab a blade from an Inquisitor. The prisoners suffered heavy casualties. Elpsis joined the fight after slaying the Grand Inquisitor and breaking Mel out.
So did Diona and the Grand Inquisitor's former apprentice Rhea, who had been cruelly abused by her master. None of the camp functionaries, guards and Inquisitors were spared. Battlemaster Mahtara, a high-ranking Dominion leader who had defied the Grandmaster and gone rogue, had dispatched a task force to retrieve Elpsis and use her as a bargaining chip. However, they found themselves caught in a cauldron and surrendered to Firemane. The surviving prisoners were evacuated by Firemane. For most it was their first time in space and none had ever seen a warship as large as the one they landed on.
The prisoners were received by Tegaea Alcori, Director of the Firemane Exploration Corps. She thanked them for helping her daughter and offered them resettlement. Firemane would als continue to support insurrectionary activity against the Dominion, but it was withdrawing its troops. This angered Phoebe. "I'm glad you rescued me to save your daughter's life. What about the other daughters down there still imprisoned?" she said. However, Firemane did its new friends and its Republican Guard allies a favour by bombing the headquarters of the Vaderites.
Castle Maysaf was levelled by the Firemane warship's cannons. However, during the bombardment the Sith Lords tried to retaliate by performing a dark ritual. Demons manifested aboard the flagship. Many of them possessed crew members, others remained shades, invading the minds of those not possessed. Phoebe and her comrades fought alongside Firemane troops. Ultimately the spirits were banished after Tempest, Karrigan'Xalda and Hikari Saito slew the demon controlling them. After the crisis was resolved, the leaders of the freed prisoners debated amongst themselves.
They had to decide on a course of action and on leadership, assuming they would stick together. Some wanted to continue the fight, others wanted to go as far away from Tephrike as possible and forget about it. Many were somewhere in the middle. Not all of the former prisoners wanted to stick together. Firemane was offering jobs after all. Phoebe advocated a ship from the outsiders and a place where their people could settle and recover from all the craziness. Her role in the Serene Springs uprising and her bravery during the attack of the demons gave her words weight. Moreover, she had stood up for them during the meeting with the Firemane executive. Nonetheless, some voices accused her of wanting power for herself. But she emerged as one of their leading figures. The Unchained were born in these days. Turning them into cohesive group was not an easy process. Not only was there some tension between the members of two different camps, there was also friction within them.
The camp administration had retained control by doing its best to divide the inmates, such as the political prisoners and the criminals. It had been common practice to promote one group and make use of stool pigeons. However, Phoebe and her group were the most organised. Issues arose in the early months when the Unchained tried to define their political and social system, leading to the melodramatically named great conclaves. The Unchained strove for greater democracy, but they faced all the problems of people with no democratic traditions and little experience in government. Radical models such a fully democratised military were rejected, as was an authoritarian, centralist proposal. Broadly speaking, the Unchained leaned towards the left, but that covered a broad spectrum. The role of religion in the new community as well as the legitimancy of cloning and the family unit were also hotly debated. The Nautolan had to make compromises, bully and cajole, but by and large got what she wanted. Totalitarian power was terrible...because it's unified, directed and pervasive. Anarchists with no higher authority would be weak, divided, segmented. The Unchained needed to be better than the world they had escaped, but have the strength and unity to protect their freedom and save more of their people who still lived under the yoke. That argument found resonance.
Not all of the inmates joined the Unchained. Some accepted Firemane's job offer, others simply left to seek their fortune in the stars. But the majority remained. Phoebe was soon elected as one of their joint leaders. The title of Advocate was bestowed on her. The Unchained chose an island called Freedom Reach, located on the planet of Arkas, as their new home. The location was chosen by its inhabitants because its mountainous terrain and deep forests made it very defensible. The Unchained had fled tyranny on their homeworld, and want to be able to protect themselves. While it had less room, it gave them a defensive advantage. Volunteers were mobilised for tasks such as such tasks as supplying food and medicine, building a road and homes.
For Firemane the Unchained were a double-edged sword. They were useful, and their rescue could be milked for propaganda, allowing the corporation to depict itself as the protector of the downtrodden. However, they were also a group that Firemane did not control and needed to watch. From Siobhan's perspective, Elpsis' attachment to them was both a blessing and a curse. She considered it likely that the Tephriki would try to exploit the girl's attachment to them, and doubted that Elpsis possessed the judgement to recognise this. At the same time, the Unchained considered her trustworthy and this was something she could use. Firemane was willing to support the Unchained, but expected something in return. A number of the escapees entered Firemane's services in order to further their understanding of the galaxy and modern technology. Part of their remuneration was sent back to the group to support it. Despite not being a Tephriki, Elpsis was more or less accepted as a member due to the aid she had rendered the group. Another recruit was Mara Technician, a Dominion clone and technician who had recognised the evil of the Dominion and helped Firemane during its campaign.
During their early forays into space, the Unchained sought to acquire cloning technology. They had the researchers and the intellectual capital, but couldn't recreate it from scratch. They also aimed to acquire funds and resources through legal and illicit means. Another goal was to acquire medical technology to cure the health issues some Unchained clones suffered from. During their search, they came across a company called GeneTech. This was a private corporation that acted without any governmental oversight, allowing its directors to pursue any form of research and sell to any client they wanted. At first GeneTech seemed interested in offering them a deal. It promised to cure various ills they suffered from. In return, it could use new donors.
It soon became apparent that the cloners regarded clones as commodities that could be sold on the free market. To their disgust, the Unchained learned that a rogue Jedi sect was procuring clone servitors from the corporation. Their aim was to 'outshine' the dark. To the Unchained, this was clearly slavery. The Jedi sect was very small, but their commandos lacked the manpower to take on both the Jedi and the corporate security forces. And they were understandably reluctant to fight the clones. However, they decided on a different tactic by spreading subversion among the clones. Having spent all their time in the corporation's facilities, many of the company's creations only had the faintest understanding of what life in the greater Galaxy was like. They had been implanted with inhibitor chips to keep them docile.
The clones had been bred to be utterly obedient like the clone troopers of yore, so after gathering intelligence the commandos decided to slice the systems and subtly manipulate the programming. To this end they smuggled in a mouse droid programmed as a slicer. This allowed them to spread pro-freedom messages and corrupt the loyalty programming. They also used slicing to disrupt 'educational' instruction videos. In their place, they spread footage of the 'training' and the discarding of 'defective units'. Needless to say the corporate security forces clamped down on such sabotage and they eventually lost access. But then the Unchained carried out a raid on the facility.
They were eventually cornered. But when the corporate officers and a few Jedi who happened to be there on an inspection tour tried to turn the clones on the intruders, they refused. Rallying the clones with the words that they had a choice and could live as free beings or slaves, the Hydras got them to turn on their masters. In the aftermath of the bloodletting, the Unchained looted the place and salvaged its tech. Several of the liberated clones joined them. Those who did not were given transport off-world, credits and some supplies. GeneTech sent Firemane a complaint about how it should 'keep its pets' in line. Siobhan was rather annoyed, but decided not to take action after being presented with evidence of how the corporation maltreated its 'products'. It was useful blackmail material she could use. The Unchained were still coldly reprimanded for getting her into this situation.
Despite their distrust of the outsiders, the Unchained have started to build tentative links with other groups within the Firemane sphere of influence. One of these groups are the Tygaran elves. Qadiri shock troops played a key role in Firemane's campaign against the Dominion. They were the first elves the Unchained encountered. Like the Tephriki, the elves are new to spaceflight and the greater Galaxy. The coming of the space people put many of the truths they held dear into question, but they are now finding their way in the stars. Moreover, a good number of them are emancipated slaves. Like the Tephriki fugitives, they had to fight against oppressors and break their chains. Shazora Jai Vahal, leader of a community of freed slaves and a member of Firemane's ruling group, took an interest in them. The Tephriki made tentative contact with Qadiri and Vashyada who had settled on Arkas, leading to joint projects. Moreover, the religious tenets of these groups influenced the Church of the Unified Spirit.
However, relations with Firemane remained frosty, and Unchained settlements received little support. Indeed, the megacorp tended to overcharge them for goods and underpay them for services, and stonewalled efforts to acquire more advanced technology. Nonetheless, the Unchained's commitment to retaining their autonomy remained strong. An independent Eldorai banker called Varisanthra Lycaeni, who had no ties to Firemane, took an interest in the Fellowship's cloning technology. Advocate Phoebe was able to make a deal with her. And, in spite of their many difficulties, they began preparing for an eventual return to Tephrike to save more of their people. The first set was the foundation of a clandestine asteroid base in the Sivas System called the Citadel of the Voidstrikers.
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