Rebs, also known as the Rebellion, is the figurehead that people of all species turn to when their disillusionment at the Council’s rule becomes too much.
About
The GCPS is not well liked. Within its borders the GCPS projects its image as one of benign overlord, raising backward cultures into the fold of a vast family of equals. Whatever their origins, everyone has a chance to win big if only they work hard and follow the immutable rules of commerce. It's a highly aspirational society.
The shining beacon of the core worlds, the First Sphere, serves as both leader and example to the rest of human space. It is filled with beautiful people who own the latest tech, drive the shiniest personal transports, and smell the tastiest caff. These people show what can be achieved, what can be had, if a man or woman only works hard enough and makes the most of the resources and opportunities at their disposal. But this privilege and prestige comes at a price and it is not one that every citizen of the GCPS finds themselves willing to pay.
Those that live on the fringes of Corporation space have seen a darker side to all this. Massive exploitation of natural resources and uncaring heavy-handedness that brushes aside any that bar the way of profit are more common traits of the GCPS when it comes to those that have no influence in the halls of power. Far away from the civilised hub, the GCPS rules with an iron fist and a cynical sneer. At least, that is the view of the many who oppose them and who band together in the loose confederation known simply as Rebs.
The Rebs are made up of many races, creeds and cultures, allied only in their hatred of the GCPS. If that were ever to fall then they would surely fall on each other, but luckily for the coherence of the movement the GCPS will not be toppled easily if at all. Still, that doesn’t mean they won’t try.
Some join the Rebs as individuals or small groups, seeking recompense for the harsh way they have been dealt with, from an innate sense of justice, others because their homes or even their people have been destroyed by war or expansionism and corporate greed, still others just to have an excuse to fight. Regardless, the Rebellion counts many species in its ranks, from standard Humans to Yndij hunters, Teraton warriors and Grogan mercenaries.
The GCPS interests scour planets of resources with scant regard for the lives or cultures that inhabited them before the survey teams arrived. Sacred lands and future livelihoods matter not at all when the verdant topsoil hides mineral resources below. The primitive Kraaw, daubed in their warpaint, fell foul of the Corporation miners. With their sacred lakes despoiled or drained they fell on the Human interlopers only to be driven off with massed gunfire. They learned quickly, and when the Rebs heard of their resistance they quickly moved to harness their fighting spirit and unique physical abilities to their cause.
Teratons have suffered too, as have Yndij, Sphyr, Sorak, Rin nomads and countless Humans from all manner of cultures. All band together to fight a common foe, bringing whatever they can to the uneven fight, knowing that they stand little chance of a final victory but doing simply what they know is right.
The huge territory of the GCPS, and the power wielded by the Council mean that the Rebellion operates in distinct cells, each of which has its own culture, rules of engagement and even objectives. Some are mostly human gangs run by xenophobic ex-corporation men, others are motley crews of various species flung together. Some try and work towards a common goal with other groups, while others strike out on their own.
The common factor is that they will take any opportunity to spit in the eye of the Council and the Corporations, whatever their personal reasons, and a Deadzone represents the opportunity to do just that, with the added bonus of offering the chance to loot some supplies, liberate some technology, or save some local lives, depending on the priorities of the particular group. Their weapons and equipment tend to be as varied as their composition, which is not to say that they are ineffective.
The rebels are, as yet, loosely organised and widely dispersed. Early losses in the life of the rebellion, notably at the Battle of Aizu - where nearly two-thirds of the assembled rebel fleet was annihilated by an Enforcer armada, have encouraged the survivors to form crews operating largely independently of one another. But there are signs this may change, and very soon. The growth and establishment of the Fourth and Fifth Spheres of the GCPS has done two things to the advantage of the rebellion. As more and more alien races are dispossessed of their home planets and their resources, a steady stream of new recruits joins the likes of Grogan, Kraaw, and Sorak rebels.
Furthermore, the improvement of communications systems, with deep-space repeater stations and the increased availability of Q-band technology, has allowed greater secure co-ordination between crews. As the rebellion becomes better funded, manned, and supplied, the day grows ever closer when they will re-form the fleets they need to really take back power from the GCPS.
Founding of the Rebellion
DOSSIER 02958/00/REB GCPS COUNCIL [RESTRICTED: SECURITY LEVEL OMICRON]
SUBJECT: REBS
COUNCIL BRIEFING. ATTENDANT FIELD EXPERT: CAPTAIN ATTINBURGH, 10TH JETARI RANGERS
For as long as the Corporation has governed humanity’s galactic interests, there have been those within our society whose only goal is to foster discontent and anarchy. Though the Council of Seven has ushered in an unrivalled chapter of peace, prosperity and power for all mankind, this is not enough for these rebels.
While seditious activities have always been a part of life in the GCPS, the roots of the organised force calling itself the Rebellion can be traced specifically to the Corporation Central riots over Second-Sphere Property tax rises. During this unfortunate incident, criminal elements within the ranks of seemingly peaceful protestors opened fire on our Enforcers, resulting in an ugly and somewhat unfortunate outbreak of violence. To this day, the rebels circulate seditious lies that the aggressor in the crowd was a lone gunman, acting under Corporation orders. This contravenes all official reports of the incident, and speculation about the veracity of the reports is an arrestable offence.
The ringleaders of the riots were sent to the Niobe Prime Correctional Complex in the Third Sphere. Unfortunately, claims of their innocence were still circulating on the SubNet, and it now appears that inside agents both within Niobe and even Corporation Central were working with the fledgling rebellion to spread anti-corporate misinformation. When the insurrection came, It was meticulously planned. At the midnight guard rotation, all hell broke loose. Explosives were detonated at key locations to prevent guard movement; smoke bombs and EMP charges killed all audio and visual streams. A small flotilla of transports approached on a low vector, straight past anti-air turrets that were mysteriously deactivated, as planted agents ushered the protesters from their cells and into the courtyard. Sixteen minutes after the first detonation, there was no sign of the prisoners or their rescuers. This was the first recorded terrorist action of the Rebellion. It pains me to say that there have been many more since.
The mass exodus from Niobe Prime was the catalyst for the start of a more formalised Rebellion. Exchanging coded information via the subnet, groups began to coalesce together, moving out from the Core Worlds and setting up base camps in the Expansion Zone. They come from all walks of life, many with useful skills and contacts that have helped the fledgling movement gain momentum. Former quartermasters and illicit arms dealers cooperate to source weapons, while engineers and technicians work on communications gear and explosives.
The Rebs attract all manner of followers to their cause; besides humans there are aliens of every conceivable species among their ranks. The Rebellion is not the first movement of its kind, but it has been one of the most successful. For two centuries, over three hundred systems have seceded from Corporate control, in breach of licence, and established a republic whose values run contrary to all we hold dear. The Reb navy suffered a crushing defeat around the blazing white star Deneb some thirty years ago, and the breakaway systems were brought back under control. At the time, it was thought this would end the matter, but recently we have learned that the Battle of Deneb was merely a stalling action.
A large portion of the Reb military escaped, along with millions of citizens who fled on colony vessels. Since then the Rebs have been massing new armies. There are rumours of Rebel held colonies established by the refugees – whole systems and sectors, the wilder stories have it – well outside the borders of the GCPS. The Rebs also have cells scattered throughout GCPS space, where they work their mischief in overt and covert manners. From bombing key installations to influencing policy decisions in corporations, no trick is beneath them. Though defeated, evidence from mind-police sweeps suggest support is growing once more for this deplorable rabble across the Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Although the Rebellion has maintained its informal nature, the sheer size of the movement means that some structure became a necessity. A loose chain of command has developed over time, although the military arm only forms a small percentage of the Rebs’ overall numbers. The majority of the Rebellion is made up of planted operatives working within the GCPS to bring it down, and support workers furthering the work of their cause through the SubNet and other communication channels. Identifying these inside agents is a priority; for every mole we uncover, the Rebs’ battlefield capability takes a major blow. As far as the average citizen is concerned, The Rebs fight a guerrilla war – they could never stand up to even a single full-strength Corporate army, let alone an Enforcer patrol.
Any stories to the contrary emerging on the SubNet must be quashed instantly, lest it undermines the very fabric of our society.
Dreadball
The Rebellion playing as an officially sanctioned team was, on the face of it, one of the most risky and controversial decisions that Digby had ever taken. Though the popularity of DreadBall was undisputed, many initially saw this as a power play by the DGB that the Council would not take kindly to. Of course, as far as the Council was concerned, this was all to the good.
Allowing the Rebels to play in sanctioned leagues gave several distinct advantages. It literally took Rebel fighters off the front lines, draining the movement of talented young soldiers who would often be quickly seduced by the lifestyle they could lead. It also meant that the message of the rebellion could be tightly controlled, choreographed, and diluted to the Council’s best advantage. And it meant that the Rebs themselves could be seen. They could be witnessed in hi-def glory, brawling and bleeding on the ‘durium the same as anyone else. Not legendary heroes and freedom fighters, but common people who lived and died just like anyone else. Just as DreadBall can make heroes out of monsters, it can make nothings out of heroes.
Short Story
Another hi-ex round impacted against the habtainer wall, but somehow it held. Fillon prayed that it would stay standing. They were surrounded on three sides, and it wouldn’t be long until they were entirely encircled. Of the Rebs under her command, only four were still capable of anything like a fighting retreat, and Joruk’s Onslaught Cannon had to run dry sooner or later.
Belwin darted around the refrigeration unit he was using for cover and let loose a burst from his rifle. His only reward was the bark of return fire from the enemy position, shots chewing more fist-sized holes through the wall. Fillon barked at him to stop wasting ammo, but she didn’t blame him. If they didn’t do something soon, none of it would matter anyway.
She tried to work out how OTR-9 had been backed into the wreckage of a diner unit. It had been a routine sweep-and-keep, picking the area clean for the good of the cause. Drone visuals had shown no enemy forces, so they hadn’t suspected a thing until the Marauders had opened fire. Turns out the visuals had been wrong.
The east wall exploded inwards, and three Commandos were already charging through the breach by the time she was raising her rifle. Radna looked up from treating Nolan’s ragged chest wound a moment too late; the lead Orc was on him, a heavy dagger plunging through the Judwan’s neck and dropping him instantly. Fillon aligned her sights on the brute’s centre mass but her gun beeped empty as she pulled the trigger. Swearing, she rolled back into cover and yelled an order to Joruk. The Grogan swung around, his cannon’s barrel still spinning, and played a line of bullets across the interior of the habtainer. All three of the attackers were taken down; two threw themselves behind a jumble of wreckage, while the third was almost torn in half by the hail of fire.
“Belwin!”
The trooper pulled a frag, thumbed the primer switch and rolled it underarm. The grenade detonated just as one of the Marauders lunged to kick it aside. Fillon saw her chance, and didn’t hesitate.
“Move it! Regroup at the water tower! Go!”
Not stopping to see the effects of Belwin’s frag, she followed her own advice. They couldn’t afford to be this sloppy again. Next time, she promised herself, things would be different.
Gallery
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The Rebs Banner
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The Rebs Models
External Links
- Mantic Store Rebs Deadzone - https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/rebs/
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