Talon Weapons Systems

Talon Weapons Systems is a Croshaw-based munitions manufacturer, focusing mostly on missiles and bombs. "If it exists, there's a Talon that can blow it up."

History
Talon was founded during a time where civilian ships were mostly never fitted with weapon systems. The need for them was small, especially since explorers much rather used the space for extra water, food, oxygen or other components. Fitting weapons on ships was legal but required a rigorous permitting process. During the Second Tevarin War, warlord Corath'Thal strategically attacked humanity on many fronts and disappearing before resistance could be organized. Civilians needed to be armed for their own protection, but standard civilian weapons were severely underpowered for the Tevarin's shields. Taisei 'Talon' Jessop had a plan to solve this problem.

During the 25th century, Taisei Jessop's family had created deep roots in the Croshaw system, and acquired a vast fortune by shipping, mining, and constructing landing zones, hangars, rest stops and refueling stations. As Jessop (born in 2535) came of age, the family fortune had squandered, and he wanted to reverse his family's fate. He became CEO in 2579 after unseating his cousin Polima. His managerial style stifled innovation, but even so did build a reputation for being intense and intelligent. This earned Jessop the nickname "Talon" for having tenaciously tackled a big task. His leadership proved enough to keep him in power but not enough to return the family to previous glory.

In 2603 the Second Tevarin War erupted, and as Jessop was on a trip looking for investments outside of Croshaw, his convoy came under attack by Tevarin forces. Jessop barely survived this attack. The ship's ballistic cannons overheated but a well placed missile fired by his security team saved him from death. This lead him to set his eyes on weapon development, as he wanted to make sure that his family, friends and confidants had proper armaments on their ships.

In his words "guns are too damn complicated", he decided to produce missiles and torpedoes, and called the company Talon Weapons Systems, a nod to his nickname. To create a company during wartime proved a great challenge for Jessop. He emptied the family coffers and exploited his business connections to secure funding, facilities, and supplies. One particularly successful campaign for Jessop was when missile racks were given away and installed for free if purchased with enough munitions to fill them. Talon distributors disregarded UEE permitting processes, and the board feared this would lead to an altercation with the government. This is exactly what Jessop wanted.

It wasn't until after the war that UEE turned their attention to Talon, and opened investigations into the company for arming civilians with its weapons. Jessop was able to fight them off with a well-prepared PR-team and troops of lawyers. They used the perception that Talon had saved countless civilian lives during the war. Eventually, the UEE loosened its regulations, allowing each system to set its own standards. According to Jessop, this free advertising was the best to happened to the brand. From that point on, heavily armed ships became standard across the Empire.

Jessop's role in the creation of the company is still debated. Some consider him a heroic freedom fighter, while others describe his legacy as that of a greedy war profiteer.