Monolith Cooperative

Monolith Cooperative
The Monolith Cooperative Logo
Colour Scheme	White, Blue, Grey

The Monolith Cooperative is one of the four current NPC factions that can be encountered around the galaxy in Career Mode

Ships

Monolith ships are generally very utilitarian in design. Military and transport ships are generally boxy with 90- and 45-degree angles. Mining and construction ships sometimes have more interesting shapes, but always because they are engineered to solve a specific problem, not for any artistic or expressive reason. The paint and finish of mining and construction ships tends to be grays and browns, often with a lot of wear and tear. Transport ships on the other hand, because they are seen more frequently by the general public, tend to be painted shades of gray and white with generally better exterior upkeep. Military vessels, intended to project a sense of wealth, competence, and authority, are usually a spotless white and blue.

Unsurprisingly given its status as an industrial powerhouse, Monolith military ships usually favor weapons and defenses that use a lot of materials. This primarily means cannons, railguns, high-explosive missiles, mines, flak, point defenses, and armor. Due to their expertise in mining, Monolith ships also often have ion beams (though almost never with prisms) and mining beam lasers. Due to their frequent need to fight more energy-focused ships from other factions, larger Monolith ships are also frequently armed with EMP missiles. Other low-tech, energy-based systems such as lasers and shields are less common but not unheard of. When used, shields tend to be of the "large" variant, and Monolith ship designers are full of hubris and thus usually poor at protecting them, rarely ever layering them behind small shields and only occasionally protecting them with strategically-placed armor. Monolith military ships always come with ample storage for their munitions, and larger ships usually have the capability to rapidly manufacture more.

Monolith ships of all varieties also tend to be larger than similar-class ships of other factions, favoring size and storage capacity over speed, often relying on their strong hyperdrive capabilities to escape situations where they would otherwise be too slow. Boost thrusters are rarely used. Tractor Beams, originally developed for hauling asteroids, have always been common on Monolith mining vessels and have more recently become common on larger military ships as well.

Civilian Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Atlas Freighter	574,416	66	Trade	10
	Bulk Extractor	519,925	74	Trade	10
	Bulk Hauler	412,250	38	Trade	10
	Bulk Modulus	504,950	34	Trade	5
	Bulk Shipper	244,000	36	Trade	7
	Bulk Transport	237,150	30	Trade	7
	Dwarf Freighter	90,000	6	Trade	3
	Factotum	204,100	22	Trade	7
	Mass Freighter	459,200	20	Trade	10
	Minor Freighter	139,600	12	Trade	5
	Minor Hauler	186,800	20	Trade	5
	Minor Modulus	141,300	10	Trade	5
	Minor Shipper	98,250	12	Trade	3
	Minor Transport	114,400	12	Trade	5
	Package Distributor	89,000	6	Trade	3
	Porter	95,800	10	Trade	3
	Workhorse	254,950	16	Trade	7

Combat Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Accoster	83,836	12	Scout	3
	Aegis	490,150	16	Frigate	10
	Ambuscader	168,650	38	Patrol	6
	Anvil	619,706	106	Frigate	11
	Arbalest	2,485,522	520	Battlecruiser	17
	Arbiter	2,982,580	636	Flagship	18
	Arquebus	800,059	150	Frigate	12
	Aspis	652,434	100	Frigate	11
	Auditor	987,944	238	Destroyer	13
	Balistraria	394,012	100	Corvette	9
	Ballista	755,748	108	Frigate	12
	Bandsaw	823,725	166	Destroyer	13
	Bastion	239,980	42	Corvette	7
	Bombardier	112,388	20	Patrol	4
	Bouncer	94,296	16	Scout	3
	Broadsword	508,656	70	Frigate	10
	Bulwark	310,888	56	Corvette	8
	Byte	60,284	4	Scout	1
	Cannoneer	143,206	36	Patrol	5
	Cartridge	59,884	4	Scout	1
	Clink	61,384	4	Scout	1
	Conciliator	811,148	104	Frigate	12
	Contender	76,536	8	Scout	2
	Coutilier	89,926	14	Scout	3
	Crossguard	614,466	148	Frigate	11
	Crown	89,836	18	Scout	3
	Dispatcher	653,300	144	Frigate	11
	Dyad	143,972	24	Patrol	5
	Echo	305,548	48	Corvette	8
	Emancipator	2,024,208	1632	Battleship	16
	Enforcer	1,503,260	332	Cruiser	15
	Executor	2,573,338	410	Battlecruiser	17
	Gallant	144,168	30	Patrol	5
	Gavel	542,718	136	Frigate	11
	Guardian	1,517,142	344	Cruiser	15
	Gunner	112,496	16	Patrol	4
	Gunwing	326,504	44	Corvette	9
	Haymaker	737,200	160	Frigate	12
	Hellion	122,900	24	Patrol	5
	Howitzer	174,190	26	Patrol	6
	Hullbreaker	570,688	120	Frigate	11
	Iconoclast	469,980	96	Frigate	10
	Impaler	758,048	124	Frigate	12
	Instigator	76,832	8	Patrol	2
	Intercessor	304,828	36	Corvette	8
	Interdictor	2,082,856	394	Battleship	16
	Intrepid	75,568	10	Scout	2
	Iota	61,184	4	Scout	1
	Journeyman	127,052	28	Patrol	5
	Juridical	386,282	52	Corvette	9
	Khyber	1,483,307	312	Cruiser	15
	Knave	75,736	10	Scout	2
	Liberator	1,325,772	248	Destroyer	14
	Liquidator	1,389,634	384	Cruiser	15
	Longspear	2,011,286	212	Battleship	16
	Magistrate	1,086,916	230	Destroyer	14
	Mercygiver	990,548	184	Destroyer	13
	Mitigator	2,012,026	512	Battleship	16
	Negotiator	1,622,384	258	Cruiser	15
	Obviator	431,996	112	Frigate	10
	Onager	1,529,800	270	Battleship	16
	Onrush	501,844	122	Frigate	10
	Onset	226,576	52	Corvette	7
	Onslaught	1,338,624	298	Destroyer	14
	Ordnance	89,974	12	Scout	3
	Paladin	90,552	12	Scout	3
	Peacekeeper	1,326,018	306	Destroyer	14
	Project Mistilteinn	2,555,114	540	Battlecruiser	17
	Project Mjolnir	1,473,154	310	Cruiser	15
	Quad	113,304	18	Patrol	4
	Quickdraw	235,296	48	Corvette	7
	Rampart	382,052	72	Corvette	9
	Rochre	139,954	32	Patrol	5
	Roughhouser	90,952	14	Scout	3
	Sapper	189,664	38	Patrol	6
	Sentinel	92,696	12	Scout	3
	Sentry	213,856	32	Corvette	8
	Shestopyor	3,132,450	488	Flagship	18
	Silencer	199,064	20	Corvette	7
	Skypiercer	408,964	54	Corvette	9
	Sledgehammer	970,054	230	Destroyer	13
	Smasher	1,009,150	194	Destroyer	14
	Spotlight	180,880	22	Scout	6
	Spotter	60,000	6	Scout	1
	Stalwart	506,156	110	Frigate	10
	Stiletto	77,032	10	Scout	2
	Successor	305,360	48	Corvette	8
	Suppressor	234,064	34	Corvette	7
	Swiftwing	241,822	40	Corvette	8
	Ternion	92,888	12	Scout	3
	Thyreos	1,624,960	264	Cruiser	15
	Toothpick	60,384	4	Scout	1
	Triad	106,104	20	Patrol	4
	Valkyrie	184,776	34	Patrol	6
	Vindicator	112,016	18	Patrol	4
	Warden	803,998	180	Destroyer	13

Defense Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Small Cannon Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	58,976	8	Platform	2
	Small Chaingun Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	111,776	14	Platform	4
	Small Deck Cannon Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	106,080	18	Platform	4
	Small HE Missile Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	64,736	8	Platform	2
	Small Point Defense Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	58,200	6	Platform	2
	Small Railgun Platform (Monolith Cooperative)	111,044	10	Platform	4

Stations

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Large Monolith Arms Depot	4,092,520	904	Military	16
	Large Monolith Trade Station	7,855,348	304	Civilian	16
	Medium Monolith Arms Depot	2,199,728	376	Military	12
	Medium Monolith Trade Station	2,558,620	244	Civilian	10
	Minor Monolith Arms Depot	348,012	84	Military	6
	Minor Monolith Arms Depot II	671,944	172	Military	6
	Small Monolith Arms Depot	969,488	200	Military	9
	Small Monolith Trade Station	1,759,280	148	Civilian	4
	Small Monolith Trade Station II	1,462,320	80	Civilian	4

Codex

The Monolith Cooperative is a massive mining, manufacturing, and transport company that dominates galactic trade and economics with near-monopolistic power.

Originally branded as the "Armstrong Mining Cooperative" in the pre-hyperdrive era, the company had the remarkable good fortune of being the first to discover what is now known as the "Armstrong Monolith" hidden deep within the Sol (Earth) system's asteroid belt. The Armstrong Monolith was the last remnant of an ancient civilization that made its home on the planet which, before its destruction, orbited between Mars and Jupiter. The monolith itself was a technological archive that, once decoded, was discovered to contain blueprints for hyperdrive technology and the ability to detect and use the vast network of hyperjump relays built by the civilization long ago. Although there is some debate, it is commonly assumed that the destruction of their planet was caused by a misuse of hyperjump technology similar in hubris to that which led humanity to destroy the whole Sol system. No biological remains of this civilization, nor any evidence of their physical form, have ever been found, leading to much speculation about whether they were truly alien or a precursor to humanity.

After the discovery of the Armstrong Monolith, it took only two years for the Armstrong Mining Cooperative to recreate rudimentary hyperdrive technology, and then only another five to make it robust enough for commercial use. Although at first the company successfully guarded the technology as the most important trade secret of all time, the fundamentals of hyperdrive technology eventually leaked a couple years later and quickly spread throughout the solar system. Even still, those couple years gave the company (now known as the Monolith Cooperative) enough of a head start to dominate its competitors and eventually become the largest industrial powerhouse in the history of humankind.

Although not overtly imperial in ambition, Monolith has gradually built one of the galaxy's largest military forces over the two-hundred years since the discovery of the Armstrong Monolith. At first this was out of necessity to defend its own transport routes and mining and manufacturing hubs, but as the might of its military hammer grew, well, as the saying goes, all its problems started looking like nails. Middle managers tasked with convincing reluctant colonies to pay exorbitant prices for life-sustaining necessities would often use their ostensibly "defensive" fleets to blockade competitors and coerce the colonies into signing unfair trade contracts. As the space-high prices of basic goods bankrupted the local governments, Monolith was only happy to step in and sell its own administrative and police services at a discount—in exchange for a hefty percentage tax on the colony's gross income, of course. Although claiming no actual territory, the Monolith Cooperative is now the de facto government of almost a quarter of the known galaxy.

The "Cooperative" part of its name comes from the fact that the Monolith Cooperative is and always has been fully employee-owned. No single person owns more than 0.1% of the company, and no shares of Monolith have ever been sold either publicly or privately. Instead, every full employee of Monolith (not including contractors) owns a very small percentage of the company (the exact amount depending on rank and length of employment) and as such is entitled to a proportional share of the company's profits in addition to their base salary. Since the company is ultimately subservient to its own employees, those who are lucky enough to be counted among them, from the middlest manager to the lowliest janitor, enjoy good pay, fair treatment, and a general quality of life far in excess of the galactic average, making the typical employee extremely loyal to the company. But due to their desire not to dilute their own shares, the employees of Monolith have mandated hiring standards so strict that only about 5% of the population under Monolith's governance are actual employees, many of whom only become so out of nepotism. Much of the remaining population lives in extreme poverty, and Monolith-governed colonies have by far the highest wealth inequality of anywhere in the galaxy.