cuckoo bananas
- Image Source: MJ, edited by me.
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: The Graspborn
- Corporation Name: The Black Line
- Headquarters: The Auric Horde – Warfleet of the Graspborn
- Locations:
- Raxus Prime – primary salvage and reclamation hub where derelicts and battle debris are stripped for raw materials.
- Eriadu – secondary manufacturing site used for refining and assembling critical systems such as engines, weapons, and armor.
- Florrum – remote refit world used to repair and repurpose captured ships for the Auric Horde’s fleet.
- Ziost – excavation and research zone focused on artifact recovery and experimental integration into war matériel.
- Terminus – logistical and trade relay used for discreet exchange of refurbished technology, raw materials, and intelligence.
- Forge Station 09 – mobile factory platform that travels with the Auric Horde, coordinating all major refit and production work in deep space.
- Operations: Salvage, reconstruction, and reclamation of ships, vehicles, and weapons; limited manufacturing and refitting of war material; artifact and technology excavation; resource extraction through raiding and dismantling of hostile or abandoned infrastructure; logistics coordination for the Auric Horde; and controlled commerce in raw materials, refurbished technology, and surplus salvage through intermediaries and informal markets.
- Parent Corporation: The Graspborn
- Subsidiaries: N/A
The Black Line is the Graspborn’s centralized industrial and reclamation network. It is responsible for the collection, processing, and repurposing of all materiel recovered through conquest or salvage. Its operations extend from large-scale shipbreaking and field refitting to artifact recovery and localized manufacturing.
The Line’s activities are characterized by their speed and efficiency. Worlds and orbital debris fields under its control are stripped of usable material within days, leaving behind the black scars and pollution trails that gave rise to its name.
While primarily focused on supplying the Auric Horde, the Line also conducts limited trade. Surplus materials, refurbished ships, and recovered components are occasionally exchanged for resources or services that cannot be replicated internally. These transactions are managed through intermediaries and unregulated markets, keeping the Graspborn’s direct involvement concealed.
The Black Line is not considered a corporate entity by any government or trade authority, but within the Graspborn system it functions as the sole organized body permitted to manufacture, salvage, and supply the ongoing war effort.
RATIONALE
The Black Line was established out of necessity. As the Auric Horde expanded, the scale of captured vessels and materiel exceeded what ad hoc crews could process. Consolidation under a single structure allowed the Graspborn to coordinate production, standardize output, and maintain operational self-sufficiency.
The system now operates through a decentralized network of captured facilities, mobile foundries, and technical specialists drawn from conquered populations. It is designed to be relocatable, resilient, and fully integrated with the Horde’s campaign strategy.
In practice, the Black Line functions as the industrial core of the Graspborn. It converts destruction into usable resources, sustains long-term operations without dependence on external suppliers, and provides the logistical continuity that allows Mercy’s forces to remain in constant motion.