The Starguild

The Starguild is a conglomeration of various major corporations and nations joined together for mutual benefits.

Formation of The Starguild
The violence released by the First Corporate Wars did not generally engulf the cities of the world as earlier warfare had; instead, it struck at presidents and politicians, at prominent business leaders and the powerful in every community. It was a battle for the true power in society, and it was waged between the old forces of nationalism and religion, and the new order of economic logic and the corporate future.

Those who sought power, or who were involved simply because they already held it, gathered paramilitary bands about them. Wielding both violence and more subtle forms of power, such as economics and politics, the influential made war upon each other. It was an almost-civilized conflict; the common people were largely excluded from it, and therefore suffered little. Traditions of professional courtesy also made a difference, and since there was little hatred involved, defeated foes were usually not enslaved or annihilated. They simply had lost power, and were therefore no longer of consequence. The notable exceptions to these rules were the four detonations of nuclear weapons. In each case, the group responsible was immediately renounced, and soon after destroyed.

By 2063, the conflicts were settling into common patterns. Humanity's future was tied inextricably to space exploration, and it was inevitable that power would pass from Earth into the stars. The governments of the Earth had therefore either accepted some form of partnership with the corporations, or were attempting to expand their national sovereignty into space. In a related fight, there were ongoing battles over technology; even a small group could own a piece of the future, if they had control of some aspect of high-technology.

The great exploration corporations had been allies throughout the First Corporate Wars, and so, in 2063, they jointly offered the Starguild Conventions to the world, as a template for the future and a means of settling the wars. They chose as their spokesman the aging, venerated Mark Heisson, father of interstellar flight. Heisson spoke eloquently of Humanity's destiny in the stars, and of the need for complete cooperation. Citing the various nuclear disasters, he told the world that technology was obviously too powerful a tool to be allowed to roam free; only the corporations which wielded it in the best interest of all should have access to it. Only the creation of a unified Starguild, in which all would have a definite place, would allow Humanity to conquer the stars.

The Conventions split Humanity into three basic castes, which were to be based on ability and position; Starcaste, Landcaste, and Bondsmen. The Starcaste would be made up of the leaders of the corporations, and those who used the high technology. They would be Humanity's leaders, and its representatives to the stars. The Landcaste would be the rulers and managers of individual worlds and industries, while the Bondsmen would be the workers. Bondsmen would elect representatives to their Landcaste superiors, who would in turn have the right to petition the Starcaste for necessary changes.

Heisson presented the system as if it were simply common sense, and his voice and his logic could not be denied. Almost everyone could accept it as a reasonable alternative to continued war, and quickly grasp how they fit into it. Although it sparked a new wave of violence, as people the world around sought to change their future position, Heisson's presentation of the Starguild Conventions had already won the battle. The very fact that most of Humanity accepted the Conventions as the template for the future guaranteed that the corporations would get what they wanted.

The years that followed the publication of the Conventions were filled with violence, deceit, and political intrigue, as every faction sought to guarantee its position. People made desperate attempts to become accepted as Starcaste, and lost their otherwise secure Landcaste status. Others rose rapidly and almost accidentally, as the power structure sorted itself out.

In 2065, the corporations arranged for the signing of the Conventions in Paris. Representatives of all the concerned peoples of the Earth took part, and Mark Heisson himself was the first to sign. Although there were sporadic outbreaks of violence for years after, the signing signaled the formal end of the wars and resolved most of the conflicts; Humanity faced the universe as a unified force at last. The stars awaited.

Senior Members
Starguild senior members are the rulers of the Starguild, and a composed of the most rich and powerful entities in space.

Subcons
Subcons are minor members of the Starguild. They were the parties with not nearly enough power or money to secure themselves as Senior menmbers.

Surrogates
Surrogates are corporate mercenaries, available to the highest bidder.