If you need product moved, an escort on a trade run, or someone “taken care of”, we’ll get it done: No Questions Asked.
The founders of the organization, Sam Corwin, Falx Tainer, and Jaxxon Murphy, served together in an old Sentinel Task Force in the UEE Navy. The STF’s consisted of three Idris frigates and the standard compliment of Hornets, assigned to patrol the edge’s of UEE space in an attempt to fill holes in security. As the UEE has been facing budget challenges, the trio had to learn how to make things work to keep the Task Force running. They now apply these skills to running an independent contracting group, known as the Hobbcats.
The Hobbcats started out with mainly escort contracts, but have expanded to bounty hunting, and transportation of goods (no questions asked). They are based out of an undisclosed system, and often seek out alien tech that the UEE technically considers illegal. However, if it gives the Hobbcats an edge, laws can be overlooked and officials can be paid off.
Details on the animal the group is named for:
Appearance-wise, the hobbcat is somewhat badger like, but known more for their extreme elusiveness and knack for survival. They’re found on a number of human colonies but no one is quite sure how they got there; always stories of someone landing after a trade run and finding half of their rations devoured, someone else spotting dark furry creatures darting out of the spaceport from a ventilation shaft.
Though they appear to be more closely related to badgers, the hobbcat name is now fairly well stuck in people’s memory as the glowing eyes from the dark holds of your ship that you see, only to have the animal vanish as soon as you reach for the lights.
The founders of the Hobbcats saw a lot of things during their time in the UEE Navy, and the one lesson these things taught all of them was this: the UEE is in more danger than people realize. The Empire’s stubborn insistence on human supremacy over the Banu and Xi’an is going to lead to it’s downfall, and the Hobbcats are going to do their best to prepare for the inevitable chaos.
While the Hobbcats business is centered around contract work, their profits from this are being put towards stocking up for what they see as the inevitable collapse of the UEE. In addition, any pirates or slaver ships they might happen across will typically be found stripped of all useful weapons, ammunition, and other supplies (if not just straight up confiscated). The Hobbcats also actively seek out deals for Xi’an and Banu technology, and will accept alien members into the organization.
In keeping with the Hobbcats long term survival goals, they are always on the look out for new systems that might provide a safe haven for their family and crew. Explorers are therefore a welcome addition to the organization, as they’ll also be needed to find other resources the Hobbcats might need.