Les Ferrailleurs

[Tenacity]

"As history has repeatedly shown, criminal elements do not always work against the governing power. There are groups which find their way into the service of the law, but continue to use unlawful methods for the greater good. Is it ever truly an unlawful act when one has the intent of serving the law? Such behavior is questionable, but there is occasionally a need for individuals who can go where the law cant, do what the law wont... that is our position, and we have filled it for hundreds of years."
--Austin Beauvais, Deauxieme Directeur, Les Ferraileurs

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Since the first french sleeper ship landed on New Paris centuries ago, there have been individuals within Gallia who excel in mechanical expertise. For the first fifty years of Gallic settlement, these individuals remained seperate, scattered throughout the populace, their skills largely unfocused.

Approximately fifty-two years after the settlement of New Paris, two siblings - Bernard and Lucienne Devereaux - both mechanical geniuses and talented entrepreneurs, began a small organization which sought out and employed the most skilled mechanics and engineers of the Gallic populace. Over several decades, this organization became known as Les Ferraileurs - The Scrap Merchants - and would come to play an integral part of the Gallic economy.

The Ferraileurs started by contracting their expertise and services out to other Gallic corporations, and without them many of the corporate giants which keep Gallia running today would not exist. The Ferraileurs served as a construction force, creating everything from buildings to space stations and ships for Gallic companies. They worked as a maintenance force, utilizing mechanical expertise to repair any and all damage that could be inflicted to these vessels and structures. Further, they worked as a cleanup crew, able to dispose of industrial waste, and repurpose debris left behind by construction projects, while turning a hefty profit.

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Over time, as larger corporations rose to take charge of the construction industry, the Ferraileurs altered their specializations and trade towards the salvage and repurposing of the numerous debris fields littering the systems of Gallia. While the main product offered by salvage was smelted and reformed metals, ranging from scrap iron to durasteel, items of value could often be found amongst the debris. Everything from the cargo of wrecked and derelict vessels to supplies, equipment, and starship components supplemented the income made from selling metal to the corporations of Gallia.

It was during this time that the Ferraileurs earned a reputation as treasure-hunters. Many became obsessed with acquiring untold riches from the trash-heaps of space, and many more lost their sanity in the never-ending quest to find valuables amongst the debris. This was considered a dark time for the Ferraileurs of Gallia, as the infrastructure of the organization broke down, giving way to more independent-minded salvagers and scrap-seekers.

After nearly a decade, the second great leader of the Ferraileurs - Austin Beauvais - rose to power. As an aspiring businessman, Beauvais saw the scattered salvagers as an opportunity rather than a disappointment. Over time, and with the application of market savvy, Beauvais managed to pull the Ferraileurs back together into an organized salvage force. Focusing these employees, Beauvais regained the reputation of the Ferraileurs as master mechanics, and once more contracted their services to the Gallic Corporations. It was during this period in Gallic history when the house's borders expanded tenfold, giving rise to a strong economy and the populating of numerous new systems.

Eventually the expansion of Gallic space slowed, and new dissidents appeared within the major centers of Gallia's populace, giving rise to the first Gallic Civil War. Since the time of Austin Beauvais, the Ferraileurs had once more descended into grifting and black marketry, and were looked down upon by much of the Gallic population. At this point in time, one Gallic prince gained the throne, but another - the bastard child of the King and his illigitimate consort - was tossed aside and never given a chance at claiming the crown. This man was Prince Jacques Marceau, and despite how he had been thrown out by his father and the rest of Gallia's royalty, he remained one of the most loyal servants to the crown that Gallia had ever seen.

Forseeing the need of unrestricted pilots to deal with the dissidents and rebels within Gallic Society Marceau, a talented businessman, profiteer, and engineer himself, took charge of the Ferraileurs. Pulling together these thieves, con-artists, and treasure-seekers, Marceau created a fighting force that astonished even the Royal Navy. The Ferraileurs were not expert pilots, nor were they experienced in combat, but they had more ships scattered across Gallic space than any other nonmilitary organization. Using these numbers to his advantage, Marceau organized the Ferraileurs into a guerilla fighting force, making hit-and-run raids on seperatist supply convoys and assisting the Royal Navy in full-on assaults against the common enemy.

While the Ferraileurs gained a great deal of respect from the Crown, Corporations, and the Royal Navy during this time, they also lost much of the connections that had been created amongst the various pirates, criminals, and rebels within Gallia. This was the turning point for the Ferraileurs, the point at which it gained new enemies, and new allies. After the first civil war had finished, many went back to simple salvage operations or repair work for the Navy and Corporations, while others took up positions as escort pilots, mercenaries, and bounty hunters for the Gallic Government.

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Over the next few centuries, the Ferraileurs continued to serve the crown in varying capacities, eventually leading up to the theft of technology from Sirius, and the migration of numerous members into the Sirian houses. These members came to call themselves the Junkers, and from the time they left Gallia through the minefields, they began to forge their own culture and destiny seperate from their origins.

Only recently, the second Gallic Civil War began, and the Ferraileurs were once again given a decision to remain neutral, or to try and reclaim their position in Gallic society by aiding the crown. During this time Lucienne Lionne - the duchess of Lixheim - inherited a great deal of influence among the Ferrailleurs from her father, who had been the past Directeur. Under her guidance, the Ferrailleurs chose the latter path - to fight, and die, for the glory of Gallia. While salvage still playst he largest role within Ferrailleur society, more and more of it's members are taking up arms and flying into battle against the Council, Maquis, Unione Corse, and the Gallic Brigands. Virtually all ties with these groups have been severed in the past decade in favor of working more closely with the Gallic Corporations and military forces.

Today, Les Ferrailleurs participate in pirate raids against Council supply convoys, hit and run attacks against maquis bases, and serve as escorts for Gallic lawful shipping, alleviating the already thinly-stretched Gallic Police and Royal Navy.

Faction Information

Faction Tag: LF-
Affilliation Tag: Junkers
ID Type: Junker / Junker Guard

Naming Conventions:
Fighters/Bombers/Freighters: LF-Name.Surname
Gunboats/Transports: LF-Shipname
(all names must have french origin)

Tasks/Operations:
-Piracy of Gallic Unlawful and Non-Gallic ships
-Escorting Gallic Lawful traders
-Mining/Salvaging (once implemented)
-Lawful trade and smuggling within Gallia
-Assisting GRN/GRP in combat against Gallic Unlawfuls

Ranking System

Pilote

The standard rank for the majority of the Ferrailleurs, these pilots are tasked with everything from piracy to information gathering to hostile raids. They serve as the bulk force and backbone of the Ferrailleur combatants.

Allowed Ships: Fighters, Bombers, Freighters

Capitaine

Capitaines are higher ranking Ferrailleurs who have been given command of a specific multi-crew ship. They may operate as cargo transports or smugglers, or as military warships tasked with leading smaller craft into battle. Capitaines are appointed on a case by case basis by the Directeur, when ships become available.

Allowed Ships: Transports, Gunboats

Directeur

The Directeur is the head of the Ferrailleurs, controlling all operations undertaken and reporting directly to the Royal Navy and King of Gallia. Throughout the history of the Ferrailleurs, there have been many directeurs - most choose to run the rest from a position of safety on New Paris or from the various Spaceports around Gallia, but some take a more active approach, leading their pilots into battle and fighting on the front lines alongside them.

Allowed Ships: Fighters, Bombers, Freighters, Transports, Gunboats

Allies and Enemies

Allied:
Junkers

Friendly:
IDF Shipping
EFL Oil & Machinery
Gallic Metal Service
Gallic Royal Police
Gallic Royal Navy

Unfriendly:
Non-Gallic Factions
Unione Corse
Gallic Brigands

Hostile:
The Council
The Maquis

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Ships and Equipment

Fighters:
Moonbeam Gallic Civilian Light Fighter
Sunbeam Gallic Civilian Heavy Fighter
Crow Pirate Heavy Fighter
Collector Junker Very Heavy Fighter
Bulldog Junker Heavy Fighter
Gitano Junker Light Fighter

Bombers:
Recycler Junker Bomber

Freighters:
Aurochs Gallic Civilian Freighter
Junker Combat Service Freighter
Junker Combat Service Vehicle

Transports:
Slave Liner (Restricted)
Junker Salvage Frigate (Restricted)

Weapons/Equipment:
Pot-Der-Fer Gallic Civilian Laser Guns
Carbine Gallic Civilian Pulse Cannons
Barrager Junker Photon Blasters

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Zone of Influence

Gallic Borderworlds:
Languedoc
Dauphine
Burgundy
Lorraine
Champagne

Gallic Core Worlds:
N/A

Non-Gallic Territories:
Omicron 80
Orkney

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Roster

Directeur
LF-Lucienne.Lionne

Capitaines

Pilotes
Lf-Adriene.Badeau
LF-Rene.Descartes

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