Polevik Arcology

What would become the Polevik Arcology were originally a small group of Uplifts and Hybrids fleeing NEB space. The former slaves, bound together by the twin cords of hatred and necessity, eschewed the company of the rest of Neo-Humanity and stuck to their own. Unwilling or unable to understand that not all humans viewed them with disdain, these malcontents soon fell under the spell of a demagogue. His/her name is only known amongst the ruling council of the Arcology, but he started up the radical uplift supremacy group Faultless Knife. The Faultless Knife was responsible for multiple assassinations of major Neo-Humanity and New Economic Block leaders and enjoyed quite a bit of anonymity until their cover was blown in a spectacular kidnapping attempt of a well-known geneticist. The Faultless Knife stole a cruiser and fled from the Neo-Humanity fleet, where it was assumed they were swallowed whole by the unforgiving void.

200 years later the trading-cruiser Arcology appeared on the edges of Guttenhevik space. They arrived at Polevik Station in a battered old cruiser, leaking oxygen but with tons of rare heavy metals for sale. Polevik Station saw nothing wrong with letting them dock. They had few heavy metals. They had trained marines, carefully-horded weaponry, and a centuries-long grudge instead. Their cruiser had been converted to a seething hive, with most of the ship space converted to creches and living spaces. The hordes of the Arcology boiled out and gutted Polevik Station. Included in the prizes were the Kursk and the Vladnov, military-class cruisers whose crew was enjoying shore leave on the pleasure station. Escapees warned the Guttenhevik Cooperative, who sent out a fleet to retake the station. Unfortunately they found it gone: the GLA fanatics had affixed all three cruisers to the station and took off to parts unknown. The Arcologists have haunted Neo-Humanity space ever since.

Arcologists will only sell to other uplifts, and will not take humans prisoner. Whatever they take over is turned to living space and joins their picket fleet or is welded on to the Arcology. They reproduce like mad and indoctrinate their young into the radicalistic Polevik Arcology way. Refugees from NEB and NEH alike are welcomed into their crew, though they take a very dim view of anyone who is not committed to their cause. It is said that the ideologically weak dot the path of the Arcology as frozen corpses floating in the void.

The Faultless Knife still exists as the officer class, all under the murderous Captain Cutclaw. They are highly trained in boarding actions, as skilled saboteurs, and as feared assassins. The Faultless Knife is more than just a group preaching GLA-supremacy; they are trans-animalists, often incorporating substantial cybernetics and gene-enhancing implants. Members of the Faultless Knife are worth millions on the bounty boards but only two heads have ever been claimed. Nobody- not even the NEB corporate-assassins- want to try to fight through billions to get at them.