// FACTIONS

The Vael Cohort

"The contract was the cohort. The cohort is everything."

Not a political faction - a mercenary company that has become something more. The Vael Cohort started as a single Keth combat unit during the independence war that was cut off from command, operated autonomously for eleven years, and survived. What came out the other side was a culture built entirely around the bond of a small unit: obligation, precision, accountability. No houses. No politics. Just the contract.

The Cohort now recruits from all races - they are the only Keth institution that does. A Varath pilot who proves themselves in Cohort service earns standing that no house affiliation can buy. They operate in contested sectors, take work that faction militaries can't officially touch, and have a reputation for delivering on exactly what they promise and nothing more.

Space: Operates from a mobile station (The Threshold, The Crucible, wherever the work is). No permanent territory.

What they want: Work. Payment. The ability to honor their contracts. They have no political agenda, which is what makes them dangerous to everyone with one.

Starting standing: All races: +50 (reputation precedes them, but no inherited loyalty)

Missions: Escort, recovery, extraction, targeted strike operations, defense contracts. The Cohort takes both sides of a dispute as separate contracts if the terms don't conflict - this is considered ethical by their standards.

Exalted perk: Cohort mark - other Cohort-affiliated ships will not engage you; access to Cohort contract tier (higher payout, higher risk).