Factions

Greater Factions
The Church of Divine Sacrament: A Neo-Catholic religious order that has achieved para-governmental status in the Cradle Worlds. They believe firmly in the sanctity of the human form, and oppose technology that makes a mockery of it such as gene-sculpting, transhuman technology, and artificial intelligence.  Pilgrims from the Church flood to the Black in hopes of adding more to the flock, not always welcomed by existing planetary governments.

The Niflheim Compact: A loose affiliation of extrastellar magnates and scientists that formed in response to the razing of Niflheim during the Gene Crisis. Operating behind layers of secrecy, shell companies, and clandestine cells, the Compact works tirelessly to push beyond the boundaries of existing technology. Its membership is as varied as their operations, and its very existence is considered doubtful by some. The Blackshear-5 cluster provides an ideal area to operate far from the watchful eyes of the Church, and it has been making inroads for much longer than any other major faction.

The Sokolov Union: Cybercommunists, who's system of governance is based on an incredibly sophisticated algorithm that distributes resources based on need and merit. It has lasted far longer than similar attempts at cybercommunism in part due to its heavily automated public workforce and population planning program. The System Administrators that monitor the PAN hubs see the Black as a den of corruption and injustice, and is making moves to liberate workers from oppressive governance. The Union's detractors say this is merely a distraction from its own internal unrest.

The Cornucopia Corporation: Corna-Corp, colloquially. An agricultural megacorporation that has transformed the inhospitable Cradle World of Batagis into a veritable paradise of vertical greenhouse farms that stretch for miles. Their interest in the Blackshear-5 cluster is purely financial; more mouths to feed means more demand for their products. This is not to say Corna-Corp is a passive player in the political struggle. More than one pirate vessel has been caught off guard by the skill of their security "Cowboys".

Lesser Factions
The Padishah Returned: After nearly a decade in exile, the native Padishah of Ibeen, Eskandar Khoroushi returned to Ibeen with an army behind him. He declared the parliament to be a puppet government supported by the Church of Divine Sacrament (mostly true) and ordered mass executions of government and church officials. The Royalists are locked in a stalemate with the pauper crusade of Sacramentists, hoping to secure enough industrial centers and popular support before reinforcements arrive from the Cradle.

Johar-Spiros Incorporated: Currently the largest and most profitable megacorp on Genoa, Johar-Spiros makes just about everything. As space gets more crowded it has particularly found success in manufacturing starship weaponry, though its other products include transportation (personal and mass) and home appliances. They have been quite vocal against the intrusion of Corna-Corp into what has traditionally been their market.

The Gorgon Group: A Genoan conglomerate that had recently been in danger of total bankruptcy until pulled back from the brink my their new CEO Kira Gurov. A charismatic and cunning leader, Gurov's bold strategies and bombastic style has turned the Group's fortunes around. She has also developed a sizeable cult of personality and her tirades are frequently the subject of extranet memes. The Gorgon Group's main ventures currently are in mass media and pharmaceuticals.

The Immamura Shogunate: A military dictatorship on Hyobe supported by a huge populace and the financial backing of the Exchange Consulate. They are aggressively imperialist, but have little influence outside their home system due to their relative isolation from the rest of the Black. The Shogunate's relationship with the Exchange of Light can be tenuous at times, as the interstellar banking organization refuses to swear fealty to them. However, they exist for the most part in a peaceful symbiosis, with the Exchange bankrolling the Shogunate's fleets and the Shogunate providing protection to the Exchange's data vaults and courier vessels.

The Babylon Cartel: A crime syndicate on Khocheni that has members in every level of society, from butcher gangs to bank chairmen. They welcome interstellar trade, as long as they get a piece of the pie. The cartel has aggressively been pushing the sale of Siren Programs offworld - highly addictive VR simulations that can be tailored to each user to provide the ultimate escapist experience.

The Montague Alliance: A small group of allied trading combines in the deep Black. It originated on Jade Reach, though its members and endeavors span several worlds. They lack any true military of their own and rely heavily on mercenaries to defend their convoys.

The Family of Three: The ruling family of Yorbund, having only recently risen to power in the wake of the Yorbund Blockade War of 3195. On Yorbund, bloodlines hold great significance, with each extended family forming self governing communities. The most respected family clans traditionally dwell in deep caverns, furthest away from the poisonous atmosphere, while the lower caste bloodlines battled the harsh conditions of the planet's surface. This societal structure was turned on its head when the Silence was broken and Yorbund was rediscovered by the Montague Alliance. As they were closest to the surface, the lower castes were the first to meet these offworlders, and were the first to gain access to their advanced technology. The Family of Three originally formed at this time as a melding of three individual clans to gain increased leverage in trade negotiations both with the Montague Alliance and the clans of Yorbund. As time went on, tensions grew between the people of Yorbund and the Montague Alliance. The heated trade negotiations eventually erupted into a shooting war between the Montague mercenaries and a confederation of Yorbundian clans. While the mercenaries focused on the relatively primitive confederation on clans, the Family of Three launched a surprise attack with its stockpile of advanced weapons and seized control of the planet's only starport. Their supply chain cut, the Montague Alliance determined trade with Yorbund was simply not profitable enough to justify further warfare and withdrew, leaving many of their mercenaries stranded on the planet. The Family of Three's attack was timed not only to cut off the Montague supply line, but also to allow the mercenaries to inflict heavy casualties on rival families, ensuring the Family's power grab was uncontested. The Family is now the de facto planetary government, and is primarily focused on consolidating its hold on Yorbund while also developing its interstellar capabilities. Many of the stranded mercenaries have found employment with the Family, their experience with advanced technology highly valued by Yorbund's new rulers.