A corporation with roots in biotech that is largely responsible for the expansion of humanity, and of humanity to the stars. Like most corporations, its hand is in every form of business, and it is currently sizable enough to be considered an intergalactic empire. They are conducting research into phoron and phoron derivatives in order to better advance the agenda of space, although they are in bitter conflicts with other powers to maintain control of this valuable resource.
NovusCorp isn't always good, but they aren't usually bad. Regardless, you work for NovusCorp aboard a ship or station meant to carry out high-risk missions to further their interests, whatever they may be.
Once just a number of large businesses doing their own thing in their place in the economy, now joined together to become what could be considered a terrorist force to combat everything related to NovusCorp or SolGov. Made up of multiple corporations that are suspected or known Syndicate supporters, each have their reasons, though similar, for sabotaging NovusCorp's business and research. Sabotage ranges from stealing important items, murdering certain individuals, and/or outright detonating NC facilities from the inside. Despite residing under a similar banner and goal, they're not all friendly to each other, since business is still in their interests and some members were once (and still are) competitors.
An authority figure that is still held together by law and government and sources from Sol, humanity's birthplace. They are officially neutral to both The Syndicate and NovusCorp, seeing them simply as competitive fronts, but in the past century, the Syndicate has attacked SolGov outposts and ships that have strayed into their 'territory'. Their only real concern involves pirates if they choose to raid one of their settlements, but are otherwise quiet and provide a safer passage than unclaimed systems.
More of a blanket term than an actual faction, pirates are usually groups of people that have commandeered a space vessel of some sort in the pursuit of loot and profit, usually through malicious methods, but are otherwise unaffiliated with each other. The term “pirate” has lost some of its meaning, however, since anyone who doesn't align with any faction usually gets called one. With this in mind, not all pirates are immediately hostile; some may be for hire, others just want to be left alone, but many are legitimate pirates.
The space equivalent of China, focusing on rapid expansion and undercutting capitalist markets, which most companies are happy to take advantage of. They exist throughout the Colonies and Rim, laying claim to profitable planets, and are generally not fans of SolGov - in fact, they are barely on peaceful terms. It'd be a shame if a war were to break out, especially since nobody is entirely sure what military prowess the PRSC carries in its home systems.
The space equivalent of Russia, mostly living on the fringes of the Rim where they can avoid direct confrontation with SolGov. Most sightings of the UUCP within non-Rim space are smugglers, mercenaries, Mafia, or other illegitimate enterprises. As such, confrontations between them and NovusCorp ships often result in combat. Dedicated warships of the UUCP are occasionally seen in the Rim, however, hinting that a day of reckoning may yet be at hand.