The Archangels of Europe
Storyline
Just before the events of Starlancer
Several political entities in the continent of Europe feel the upcoming conflict coming and decide to take action by building a sleeper ship to send off to the sirrius sector.
This ship, the Titan (no reference to Titan AD) is launched just hours before the conflict starts.
The Titan, off course much primitive then the sleeper ships launched by the alliance a 100 years later, arrives at sirrius in the Sigma-13 system right in the middle of the 80 year war. The Titan suddenly being pursued by both sides stumbles across a faint jump hole and ends up in the Norway system. Several other systems are discovered and the Titan halts and unloads it sleepers on the planet Brussels in the Belgium system. Over time the colonists explore and colonise the following systems: Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Greece, Wales, Norway,Switzerland,Normandy, Ra
In the Ra system they encounter many strange alien devices including a form of system cloak which keeps the New European systems hidden from the other empires.
Suddenly the colonists are being attacked by an unkown force, the Nomads. Apparently Ra is their home and thrive out the New Europeans out of the system. This is followed by a massacre on planet Calais in the France system. The assault is hold off, but the New Europeans don't have the military hardware to stand ground, they do however have an enourmass matterrial surplus.
Secret negotiations are started with the 3 empires they know off Bretoria, Rheinland and Kusari in which materials are traded for military hardware.
The New European Navy (or NEN) is formed with supplies of the 3 and is put in place of protecting the New Europeans of the Nomad threat.
This includes putting a fleet in France and Normandy systems.
In the meantime the NEN starts develloping its own battleship class (Aurelius class (I based its original design on the Hiigaran battleships of Homeworld 2) and
fighter classes (Angel & Archangel class).
Around this time a pirate faction rises in New Europe, the Trixters, although not a serious threat their resource and fighters make people wonder if there is a link between them & the Nomads.
A few years before the events in Freelancer
A liberty Navy patrol stumbles across a unknown jumphole in the New York system. Curios, a scientific team is send through. They find the bulk of the NEN task force and fear this is a joint invasion of Liberty space. The liberty navy sends in a fleet and the NEN task force is wiped out.
The NEN responds by sending a single Aurelius class battleship under fighter escort to the New York system.
It succeeds in laying siege to planet Manhattan and a peace treaty is signed informing the people of Liberty of this 5th human empire hidden amongst the stars.
Commerce starts flowing freely through the New Europe Systems as free travel is allowed. Several jumpgates & tradelanes are constructed.
So that's the basic storyline
Factions
The New European Navy (NEN)
The NEN was founded to respond to the Nomad threath.
The NEN has been upgrading its fleet with the new Aurelius class battleship decomisioning or reclassifing the Rheinland, Bretoria and Kusari Batlleships. The bases of the NEN are usually one of these reclasified ships. Altough 1 aurelius functions as an NEN base near the jumpgates to Libirty in the Belgium system.
Angel: the angel fighter is old but nimble, designed for speed and not combat this fighter resembles early 22th spacefighters.
Archangel:The archangel is a combination of nomad and human technology based on the hull of the angel, the archangel has more power, but handels not as nimble as the angel.
The New European Police
Police force of New European systems
Patrol: the patrol is a small fighter that is hard to hit and very fast, its focus lies in thriving the suspect or target into a corner and letting the bigger ships do their work.
Combi: the combi is basicly a standard shutllefreighter with armor and guns
The New Europe Space Authority (NESA)
The nesa is in control of all civilian trafic within the New European systems, currently NESA does not have ships.
Industrial Steel & Mineral Reprocessing
This is the largest company in the European systems,using nomad technology to realign the molecular structure of matter. In other words turn lead into gold. The company buys up tons of scrapmetal and low level minerals and sells low amounts of high end goods.
Humpback: the humpback was meant for one thing. Mine. The ship was designed to get through the toughest mine able belts and haul the ore. Its however sluglish due to its weight & size (think of it as the Bretoria freighter meets a sigil from eve online)
Dolphin: the dolphin is a small sleek ship, designed for exploration and reconnaissance.
The Trixters (Trix)
The trix are pirate faction. Coming to life just a few weeks after the Calais Massacre, the faction is an odd bunch going from maffia like crimes,like drug smuglling, to terrorism. No Trix arrestee has ever talked as they use poison to commit suicide upon capture. Bounty hunters should be aware that this poison turns the Trix body into a bomb, the poison can be transferred by skin contact, so beware only to touch the remains with the right equipment.
The Trix homebase is called the City of the Trixters and is located deep within the Black Mud Swamp Nebula in the Italy system. Its a huge station in decay several big agridomes are lit up with red neon lights as they serve as red light districts.
demon: the demon is a small sized ship made from scrap, its main focus is to harras lonely ships
hellspawn: the hellspawn is a mid sized ship designed to hold ground, like the demon it looks like it was made from scrap
diablo: mid size freighter, the diablo looks like a NEP Combi except it has 4 extrusions on whichs guns and launchers can be mounted, it colored in a dark blood red. And on its hull human bones and skulls are attached. Thes ships are often found coming in & out of the Ra system or smuggling drugs through Greece to the Holland system