Sante Interstellar Solutions / SANTE

Complicated Beginnings

During the final stages of the First Tevarin War, High General Ivar Messer tasked UPE High Command with designing a Battle Group. This task force, under the Special Services Fleet, would act as a self-sustaining tactical strike unit: offering the capability for unilateral action deep in enemy space. With the parameters set, the UPE military delivered the raw concept – Task Force Hydrus (a.k.a. TF Hydrus). TF Hydrus consisted of unique economic and patrol ships. This would allow the battle group to maintain a presence on the empire’s edge for prolonged periods of time without supply lines. Sensing that the High General’s intentions were darker, an admiral wrote the following troth to instill a sense of loyalty to the UPE in the Battle Group’s charter:

”…Task Force Hydrus will, at all times, be accountable to the collective mood of UPE citizens on the empire’s edge. All commanders of this task force will demonstrate a thorough understanding of chaos as the truest form of equality. As such, this battle group is prohibited from acting as a terminal de-facto judiciary. Task Force Hydrus is mandated to defend all UPE citizens and the ambiguity of their judgments. Their actions should reflect credibility on their frigate’s namesake, Rachel Locke, who heroically defended her people during the battle of Idris IV…”

High General Messer was thrilled with the UPE’s new group. Quietly, Messer began making changes: granting the group universal export/import rights, commercial/industrial privileges and adding an Aegis Retaliator Squadron. This squadron was commanded, in name, by Adam Corr. TF Hydrus received the squadron while finishing refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) operations at MacArthur, in the Kilian system.

Into the Fray

TF Hydrus began it’s service in their typical fashion – indescribable devastation. After their RCOH in 2546, TF Hydrus was sent to Kaleeth as an orbital support unit. Seeing the sluggishness of the Tevarin home-world invasion, Commander Task Force Hydrus (CTF Hydrus) requested permission to use discretionary bombardment. Permission was given; CTF Hydrus glassed his side of the planet.

The Tevarin experienced a complete collapse of their planetary defenses. Marines assigned to TF Hydrus’ sector began an unopposed landing: mopping up any remaining Tevarin. This battle created the TF Hydrus’ mythic reputation of destructive focus.

After TF Hydrus’ success, the High General’s agents began creating dissension within the battle group. The Retaliator Squadron’s commander, Adam Corr, was nowhere to be found. He missed briefings, fleet musters, and was often UA. This culminated when Corr disappeared with a flight of retaliators the day of bombings on Davien II.

CTF Hydrus approached High General Messer about Corr’s disappearance. The High General presented no objection to the Commander’s complaints. Corr was transferred to Messer’s personal staff. Shortly after, Messer assumed the role of Prime Citizen.

Later, CTF Hydrus died a natural death at age 49. The UEEN maintained there was no criminal element. Recently, tribunals have revealed this death occurred under dubious circumstances.

Now encompassing of the body politique, Prime Citizen Messer had little use for a special battle group and transferred command to the newly formed UEE Navy High Command.

High Command was excited by the broad capacity of TF Hydrus. This fleet had the appearance of civilians and fought like Tevarin. They were assigned a young Commanding Officer and tasked with intelligence gathering. Posing as a Science Corporation inspired by Marie Sante, TF Hydrus collected information from Banu traders, violent criminal sectors, and accidental incursions in Xi’an space. During this time the battle group became invisible to all but the frontier. In places like Taranis, the armada was a confusing reminder of the Messer regime. While not violent towards citizenry, the nature of the fleet evoked suspicion.

In 2603, TF Hydrus would remind the empire of its brutal capacity. The Second Tevarin War brought the fleet into close proximity with hostile forces. Eventually, their intelligence cover was blown by a Naulle. The Tevarin saboteur infiltrated one of the Battle Group’s civilian ships: only to discover he was in the middle of a covert military vessel. The well-trained crew quickly decapitated the startled Tevarin. But it was not fast enough, and the doomed Tevarin sent a warning transmission during his demise. In a little-known engagement in the Taranis asteroid belt, TF Hydrus destroyed 2 Tevarin capital ships and their 30 escorts. Survivors were executed to prevent further engagement of the “civilian” armada. No official report was ever filed. Only maintenance reports, personal journals, and Tevarin wrecks tell the gruesome narrative.

Up until the Vanduul War, TF Hydrus logs became relatively quiet. Entries detailed minor skirmishes, intelligence collection, and self-sustainment business. The UEEN planned decommission of TF Hydrus for 2946.

Transformative Years

During the Vanduul War, the Battle Group was temporarily converted into a strike group. Ships were upgraded with laser cannons and nuclear torpedoes. Part of the new UEEN’s frontier response, TF Hydrus actively invaded Vanduul space and picked fights with smaller flotillas, attempting to draw out Vanduul King ships. They were unsuccessful. The Vanduul began sporadically abandoning areas TF Hydrus patrolled.

After the final year of patrol, the UEEN followed through with the decommissioning of the Battle Group. Reluctant to leave their sailors to the wanton chaos of the present UEE, many TF Hydrus captains bought their vessels. Banding together they formed Sante Interstellar Solutions (SIS). They organized their new corporation into three divisions: Intelligence (Serpens Universal), Defense (Hydrus Atomics), and Trade & Logistics (The Locke Corporation).

SIS is headquartered in Terra, with regional headquarters in Stanton, Sol, Idris, and Chronos.