1 The Bastard Son

The United Earth Expansion Project, had originally built 24 Einstein - Rosen Bridge Testing Stations, more than 400 years ago. They were made with the intention of exploring what lay on the other side of the rifts. They would provide for a base of operations on the other side of the rifts.

Of those original 24, only six remain, and of those, just 2 remain operational. The 2nd Station had been kept with the utmost care and had been renewed with every advancement in technology available, and has more than tripled its original size. It is located just after the Bridge Jump, which leads to Old Earth. It is one of the biggest space stations and certainly the oldest one. It had been repaired and maintained since it began operations, it is no wonder how it has not only lasted but improved.

Most of the other Stations were destroyed during the war periods, some had faced problems since the beginning and were eventually replaced or not longer needed. Very few were left to their own luck as the places they unraveled were deemed to risky or expensive to develop by the United Earth Expansion Project. Those Stations had to forcefully harness resources from new space to survive, and began with the expansion although at a much slower pace than those supported by the Project.

As the Expansion Project had began bearing results, and new planets were conquered by mankind, the United Earth Expansion Project ceased and went into a colony system, what little support those stations had, was ended. This new phase of colonization could not make the desired transition, and new governments were appearing on the colonized planets.

This lead to a period of wars in a scale never before seen by mankind. This period lasted for almost 100 years, alliances were made, and treaty's signed. Each part of the galaxy gained and identity of their own.

Somehow after sharing every problem mankind faced on its expansion trough out the galaxy, the 11th Station had endured. It had adapted to the environment it found once it crossed the rift. It had been transformed and modified, but not with the intent of upgrades, but driven by a survival instinct.

The 11th Eisten - Rosen Bridge Testing Station, had attached itself to and asteroid, and merged with it. Its thrusters had been fused on the asteroid and were capable of space flight. Imperial Auditor Rayne Vaner, had seen holo vids about the 11th, but seeing it as he was approaching to it, made him feel amazed, and he seldom was.

It was even more impressive since it was now the property and the headquarters of the Dark Rift Convention. He had come in order to meet with the head of the Convention, Evans Raleigh. When the Convention appeared, it had surprised everyone. Not because it had established order within the Dark Rift, every big player on this part of the galaxy were already set on doing so, as this was the only nexus not exploited yet. But because He and his Convention beat everyone to it.

This lead to a series of questions, the first and most crucial one at the beginning had been, how had he funded the Convention?. It was an important question because it could led to the purpose of this new company and who had gained the upper hand on the Dark Rift Nexus.

It was responded rather quickly, once the Convention had been made public, its master had not remained anonymous. Evans Raleigh, his last name had already answered the first question. He should be related to Raleigh Industries one of the biggest enterprises in the galaxy. They had 2 large divisions, mining and space engines. They had been founded just as the original expansion project ended. This meant that Raleigh Industries would most certainly become the biggest as they would now control the means of transportation and control they have long since depended on others.

But to everyone's surprise, Raleigh Industries had no shares on the Convention. It just so happens that Old Atticus Raleigh, CEO of Raleigh Industries had 4 heirs to his name with Mrs. Raleigh, but had sired one child with another woman. Danan Raleigh, lovingly called "The Bastard" by his half brothers and sister, and even tough he had not inherited any shares of Raleigh Industries, he had been taken care by his father, and had received some help from his father with a business he started, and since he did not want to had troubles with his delightful half brothers and sister. He went to the Dark Rift and began a trading company.

Danan Raleigh had managed to create a stable trading company in one of the harshest routes in the galaxy. It was a small company, but he had made it. He went paid back what Old Atticus had given him to start his company, or so the story goes, and had a good relationship with him. Evans Raleigh, The Bastard Son, as the heirs of Raleigh Industries call him, had a seemingly good relationship with his grandfather as well. They would visit Old Atticus from time to time, and if you listen to hearsay, they were only allowed when the other heirs were not around, this because they feared the Bastard would ask a favor from them, or so they say.

Danan Raleigh past away when Evans was 16, his ship had malfunctioned, and the warp engine exploded, or so the official report from the company said. However there was a lot of plasma damage to the ship in the forensic report, which suggests a different story, however not much is known about it.

It is well known that after his fathers death Evans Raleigh, took control of his fathers company. Old Atticus called Evans and offered to send one of his most trusted executives, and help Evans with the company, but Evans insisted that he could do it alone. Old Atticus revealed to Evans that his father Danan, had in fact left his shares in a Trust, making Old Atticus the Trustee. He had done so, with the intention of Evans finishing his studies. Danan knowing his son to be stubborn, asked Old Atticus to see that Evans would not be taken from his studies.

Old Atticus thus did as he intended, making and old executive of him, take over the management of the company and a roll as guardian for Evans on that front. He also made Evans attend to one of the finest schools in the Galaxy, from which Evans graduated as a regular student taking a diverse set of courses.

Old Atticus was almost 180 years old by this time, he had already resigned as CEO from Raleigh Industries, and were handed to a Directive Board, made of his heirs and some major shareholders. Even tough he saw that Evans finished his father wishes, their relationship did not change. Having the same rare and cordial visits and chats.

Once Evans turned 20, all the shares that had been guarded in the Trust were given back to him, and his appointment as head of his fathers trading company "The 11th Einsten - Rosen Bridge Testing Stating Trading Company", now know as "Dark Rift Trades and Transportation". The executive whom had served as the manager however, still remains inside the company, and works as Evans advisor.

Mikhail Jankowski, had worked as a team leader, on the Design Office of Raleig Industries, in their Space Engines division for more than 70 years. He had led many projects, but nothing out of the ordinary. He had retired for 5 years, before being contacted by Old Atticus, and offered the job, on his bastard son company. He had managed the company for 4 years, and coached Evans so that he could take over. Once the management change happened, he stayed as and advisor. That was all the most notorious facts about Mikhail Jankowski, in the report auditor Vaner had.

His reports then divert to the take over of the company by Evans. He began by renaming the brand, and convinced two other small transport companies to merge with his. Thus "Dark Rift Trades and Transportation" began. The company made more aggressive deals, which in a way responded to the galaxy new found interest on the Dark Rift Nexus.

It had been 3 years since Evans had been leading the company, when the news of Old Atticus dead, appeared everywhere in the Galaxy. Atticus Raleigh, had been a talented and collected entrepreneur. He had been on command of Raleigh Industries during most of the longest and greatest war in the galaxy. He not only managed to endure, but led the company to new markets and was ready for the now explosive economy.

He stepped down from his CEO position for more than 12 years, yet many deals still were made easier with his presence. The Directive Board he left behind, had taken over his position and were doing an outstanding job, however the news of his dead, led to a small plunge on the company stocks in the market. Showing how much weight he have had on the galactic economy.

Old Atticus had already split most of his shares among his 4 heirs, what little shares he still had and of his properties, where handed to his grandchildren except from Evans, the bastard son. He had however left Evans with money, which represented the same amount he had left for his other grandchildren together.

It was a large sum, not even half of what each of his direct heirs had already received. This amount would not make significant changes on the big markets, but in the Dark Rift. It lead to complete change of perspective. 8 days after the dead of Atticus Raleigh, a new company appeared, "Dark Rift Mercenary Brotherhood".