Portfolio: Esperia

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 4.12.
There’s an old saying that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” That has never been more true than with Esperia. The company produces fully-functional recreations of both historic and alien ships, and most recently, historic alien ships. Esperia’s ability to seamlessly blend modern function and luxury with classic and long-lost ship designs makes it utterly unique in the aerospace marketplace.

Interestingly enough, Esperia’s founding in 2873 was about history, not commerce. The company only became a major player in the aerospace industry thanks to a bit of luck, a big controversy, and the tireless drive of its two founders: Jovi and Theo Ingstrom. The Esperia story is truly about these brothers who hated, loved, and pushed each other to do what no one else dared.

Sibling Rivalry
The Ingstrom brothers were born and raised in Quasi, Terra. Their parents owned and operated a vast luxury hotel that catered to the tourists that visited this picturesque, mountainside city. As a kid, older brother Jovi was fascinated by the strange alien ruins just outside Quasi and would spend hours exploring them. Meanwhile, Theo hung out in the hotel’s hangar. There, he ogled the rare and expensive ships that came and went with the guests.

According to hotel staff at the time, while Jovi and Theo were a pleasure to be around individually, they became a terror when together; the brothers constantly antagonizing or daring each other to do reckless things. Edwin Kelce, author of Resurrecting Icons (the definitive biography on the brothers), suggests that the most notable incident occurred when they were teenagers, in 2866. Jovi dared Theo to stand on the railing of one of the hotel’s third story observation decks. Once his brother finally was perched on top, Jovi bumped the railing. Somehow Theo survived the fall, suffering only a broken arm.

Despite this rambunctiousness, their father detected a strong entrepreneurial instinct in Jovi and wanted him to learn the family business. Jovi refused and instead attended the University of Jalan to study xenoarchaeology. The following year, Theo began attending the University of Rhetor to learn aerospace engineering. Theo proved to be a gifted and motivated student. Jovi was expelled his sophomore year.

Following his expulsion, Jovi worked at the family hotel for a few months. He quickly tired of his parents’ constant scrutiny and wanted to return to his studies. His parents agreed to financially support him under the condition that he attend the University of Rhetor with his brother. Reportedly, his parents, both alumni, played the legacy card and made a sizable donation to the institution to ensure his application would be accepted.

Jovi moved in with Theo the next semester. The arrangement annoyed both brothers. Theo felt that his parents had burdened him with the additional responsibility of keeping his brother in line, while Jovi resented his younger brother looking over his shoulder. Then, in 2872, the two took a trip to the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) that would not only change their relationship, but also their futures.

Digital Archaeology
For years, Theo had been trying to get his hands on a Gailforce-model ship, known among engineering enthusiasts because it never made it to market after cost overruns drove its manufacturer out of business. While touring the show floor, Theo found a broken shell of a Gailforce for sale. Yet despite his efforts, he couldn’t talk down the private collector’s exorbitant purchase price. For the rest of the day, Theo rambled incessantly about the ship until Jovi decided to take matters into his own hands. Before anyone attributes Jovi’s actions as altruism, Resurrecting Icons claims that Jovi’s actual motivation was “to make Theo shut up.” He tracked down the collector that evening in the hotel bar and after a night of drinks, was able to talk down the price. Not only that, he managed to get a set of the ship’s original blueprints thrown in as well.

Theo used the blueprints to repair the ship, but ran into a snag when data corruption rendered a number of the pages unreadable. Jovi researched where they could obtain copies of the corrupted pages and was shocked to discover that blueprints were often harder to find than the ships themselves. The fact that the Gailforce’s blueprints had virtually vanished after only a few decades stunned Jovi.

After watching Theo repair and restore the Gailforce, he understood that ship blueprints were an essential part of aerospace history and was surprised that no one had thought to compile any kind of archive of these documents. Jovi saw an opportunity to combine his natural business acumen with his passion for history.

In 2873, Jovi dropped out of school, liquidated his trust fund, and started Esperia with the help of Theo. The company was named after a small-scale ship manufacturer, renowned in collector circles, that was tragically wiped out when the Orion System fell to the Vanduul. Esperia’s initial goal was to collect and preserve ship blueprints so more wouldn’t be lost to the sands of time.

Jovi and Theo began to buy as many ship blueprints as possible. Then they charged a recurring fee for access to these records, so collectors could restore their precious ships to the original specs. Jovi scoured the universe, paying good money for any blueprint he could find. It wasn’t long before Esperia had accumulated an impressive database, and had made a name for itself among collectors as a go-to source.

But the subscription model wasn’t lucrative and Esperia struggled to turn a profit. After Theo graduated from university, he began to buy and sell old ships he’d restored from Esperia blueprints. Jovi heavily advertised these restorations to show what was possible with their service. It wasn’t long before Theo’s reputation as a talented restorer drew more interest than the blueprints. One morning Victor Hurston was patiently waiting for them outside their small office in Kutaram, Terra. What he proposed would permanently alter the company’s course.

The Imitation Game
Victor Hurston was best known as a playboy with a penchant for exotic ships. Even so, what he proposed to the Ingstrom brothers was nothing short of shocking. Victor had come into possession of a Vanduul Glaive and asked if Esperia could get it up and running. Though they lacked blueprints and any knowledge of the Vanduul language, the Esperia team somehow got it working. A few months later, Victor Hurston unveiled the Glaive to a shocked audience at the 2877 IAE, the crowd reaching fever pitch when he climbed into the cockpit and took off. Afterwards, Victor personally thanked Esperia for their hard work on getting the ship flight ready.

Overnight, the name Esperia spread across the Empire. Many marveled at how this small restoration company had mastered Vanduul technology, while others cursed them for turning the enemy’s weapon of war into a rich kid’s toy. Theo recoiled from the controversy. Jovi embraced it, using it to advance their image and start building a brand.

Then the UEE Navy was at Esperia’s door. Government engineers had never quite figured out how to make captured Vanduul ships function properly, certainly not to the level that Victor Hurston had demonstrated, so they hired Esperia as consultants. After Theo and his team proved their worth, the government approached Esperia with an even more ambitious project — building replica Vanduul ships to be used in Navy training exercises. Esperia needed to quickly expand their operations to fulfill the government contract. Jovi worked tirelessly to make this happen and it paid off. Esperia has been on the Navy’s payroll ever since.

After expanding their operations to fulfill their government contract, Esperia finally had the facilities to produce quality replicas for the private sector too. Before long, several near-extinct spacecraft were to be found flying the Empire once again in the form of Esperia reproductions. Wealthy clients flocked for the chance to fly these limited-run collector ships.

Recently, Esperia’s special relationship with the UEE government allowed them access to the Kabal System to catalog and assess the ancient Tevarin ships found there. They have since brought to market the Prowler, the famed Tevarin boarding craft, which has been painstakingly constructed to recreate the spirit of the original ship while updating it with contemporary features and comforts. The Prowler joins replicas of the Vanduul Glaive and Blade that the company recently sold to the public under a new business plan pushed by current CEO Charlotte Hussion.

Esperia has come a long way since Jovi and Theo started it as an archive for vanishing ship blueprints. Still, the company’s dedication to preserving the past stays alive and well and continues to influence the future. Each year, eight students at the University of Rhetor receive the Ingstrom Fellowship for their work in the field of xenoarchaeology.

Dieses Portfolio erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 4.12.
Es gibt ein altes Sprichwort: "Nachahmung ist die aufrichtigste Form der Schmeichelei." Das war noch nie so wahr wie bei Esperia. Das Unternehmen produziert voll funktionsfähige Nachbildungen von historischen und außerirdischen Schiffen und zuletzt von historischen außerirdischen Schiffen. Esperia's Fähigkeit, moderne Funktion und Luxus nahtlos mit klassischen und längst verlorenen Schiffsdesigns zu verbinden, macht es absolut einzigartig auf dem Luft- und Raumfahrtmarkt.

Interessanterweise ging es bei der Gründung von Esperia im Jahr 2873 um Geschichte, nicht um Handel. Nur durch ein wenig Glück, eine große Kontroverse und den unermüdlichen Einsatz der beiden Gründer wurde das Unternehmen zu einem bedeutenden Akteur in der Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie: Jovi und Theo Ingstrom. Die Esperia-Geschichte handelt wirklich von diesen Brüdern, die sich gegenseitig hassen, lieben und drängen, das zu tun, was niemand sonst gewagt hat.

Geschwister-Rivalität
Die Gebrüder Ingstrom wurden in Quasi, Terra, geboren und aufgewachsen. Ihre Eltern besaßen und betrieben ein riesiges Luxushotel, das sich um die Touristen kümmerte, die diese malerische Stadt am Berg besuchten. Als Kind war der ältere Bruder Jovi fasziniert von den seltsamen außerirdischen Ruinen vor Quasi und verbrachte Stunden damit, sie zu erkunden. In der Zwischenzeit hing Theo im Hangar des Hotels herum. Dort schaute er auf die seltenen und teuren Schiffe, die mit den Gästen kamen und gingen.

Nach Angaben des damaligen Hotelpersonals waren Jovi und Theo zwar ein Vergnügen, einzeln dabei zu sein, aber sie wurden zu einem Schrecken, wenn sie zusammen waren; die Brüder bekämpften sich ständig gegenseitig oder wagten es, leichtsinnige Dinge zu tun. Edwin Kelce, Autor von Resurrecting Icons (die endgültige Biographie über die Brüder), deutet darauf hin, dass sich der bemerkenswerteste Vorfall ereignete, als sie noch Teenager waren, im Jahr 2866. Jovi wagte es Theo, auf dem Geländer eines der Aussichtsdecks des Hotels im dritten Stock zu stehen. Als sein Bruder endlich oben lag, stieß Jovi auf das Geländer. Irgendwie überlebte Theo den Sturz und hatte nur einen gebrochenen Arm.

Trotz dieser Unbekümmertheit entdeckte ihr Vater in Jovi einen starken unternehmerischen Instinkt und wollte, dass er das Familienunternehmen lernt. Jovi weigerte sich und besuchte stattdessen die Universität von Jalan, um Xenoarchäologie zu studieren. Im folgenden Jahr begann Theo an der University of Rhetor zu studieren, um Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik zu erlernen. Theo erwies sich als ein begabter und motivierter Schüler. Jovi wurde bereits im zweiten Studienjahr rausgeschmissen.

Nach seiner Vertreibung arbeitete Jovi einige Monate lang im Familienhotel. Er wurde schnell müde von der ständigen Überprüfung durch seine Eltern und wollte zu seinem Studium zurückkehren. Seine Eltern stimmten zu, ihn finanziell zu unterstützen, unter der Bedingung, dass er mit seinem Bruder die Universität des Rhetors besucht. Berichten zufolge spielten seine Eltern, beide Alumni, die Legacy-Karte aus und spendeten eine beträchtliche Summe an die Institution, um sicherzustellen, dass sein Antrag angenommen wurde.

Jovi zog im nächsten Semester bei Theo ein. Das Arrangement ärgerte beide Brüder. Theo fühlte, dass seine Eltern ihn mit der zusätzlichen Verantwortung belastet hatten, seinen Bruder in Schach zu halten, während Jovi es seinem jüngeren Bruder übel nahm, über seine Schulter zu schauen. Dann, 2872, machten die beiden eine Reise zur Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE), die nicht nur ihre Beziehung, sondern auch ihre Zukunft verändern würde.

Digitale Archäologie
Seit Jahren hatte Theo versucht, ein Gailforce-Modellschiff in die Finger zu bekommen, das bei Technikbegeisterten bekannt war, weil es es nie auf den Markt kam, nachdem Kostenüberschreitungen den Hersteller aus dem Geschäft brachten. Während eines Rundgangs durch die Ausstellungshalle fand Theo eine zerbrochene Hülle einer Gailforce zum Verkauf. Doch trotz seiner Bemühungen konnte er den exorbitanten Kaufpreis des Privatsammlers nicht herunterspielen. Für den Rest des Tages wanderte Theo unaufhörlich über das Schiff, bis Jovi beschloss, die Dinge selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Bevor jemand Jovis Handlungen als Altruismus einstuft, behauptet Resurrecting Icons, dass Jovis eigentliche Motivation darin bestand, "Theo zum Schweigen zu bringen". Er fand den Sammler an diesem Abend in der Hotelbar und konnte nach einer Nacht mit Getränken den Preis senken. Nicht nur das, er schaffte es auch, einen Satz der ursprünglichen Blaupausen des Schiffes einzubringen.

Theo benutzte die Blaupausen, um das Schiff zu reparieren, stieß aber auf einen Haken, als Datenkorruption eine Reihe von Seiten unlesbar machte. Jovi recherchierte, wo sie Kopien der beschädigten Seiten erhalten konnten, und war schockiert, als er feststellte, dass Blaupausen oft schwerer zu finden waren als die Schiffe selbst. Die Tatsache, dass die Blaupausen der Gailforce nach nur wenigen Jahrzehnten praktisch verschwunden waren, betäubte Jovi.

Nachdem er Theo bei der Reparatur und Restaurierung der Gailforce beobachtet hatte, verstand er, dass Schiffsblaupausen ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Geschichte der Luft- und Raumfahrt waren, und war überrascht, dass niemand daran gedacht hatte, eine Art Archiv dieser Dokumente zu erstellen. Jovi sah die Möglichkeit, seinen natürlichen Geschäftssinn mit seiner Leidenschaft für die Geschichte zu verbinden.

Im Jahr 2873 verließ Jovi die Schule, liquidierte seinen Treuhandfonds und gründete Esperia mit Hilfe von Theo. Der Name des Unternehmens stammt von einem kleinen, in Sammlerkreisen bekannten Schiffsbauer, der auf tragische Weise ausgelöscht wurde, als das Orion-System an die Vanduul fiel. Esperia's ursprüngliches Ziel war es, Schiffsplanungen zu sammeln und zu bewahren, damit nicht noch mehr durch den Sand der Zeit verloren geht.

Jovi und Theo begannen, so viele Schiffsblaupausen wie möglich zu kaufen. Dann erhoben sie eine wiederkehrende Gebühr für den Zugriff auf diese Aufzeichnungen, damit Sammler ihre wertvollen Schiffe wieder auf die ursprünglichen Spezifikationen zurücksetzen konnten. Jovi durchkämmte das Universum und zahlte gutes Geld für jede Blaupause, die er finden konnte. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis Esperia eine beeindruckende Datenbank aufgebaut hatte und sich bei Sammlern als Anlaufstelle einen Namen gemacht hatte.

Aber das Abonnementmodell war nicht lukrativ und Esperia hatte Mühe, einen Gewinn zu erzielen. Nach seinem Universitätsabschluss begann Theo, alte Schiffe zu kaufen und zu verkaufen, die er nach Esperia-Blueprints restauriert hatte. Jovi warb stark für diese Restaurationen, um zu zeigen, was mit ihrem Service möglich war. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis Theos Ruf als talentierter Restaurator mehr Aufmerksamkeit erregte als die Blaupausen. Eines Morgens wartete Victor Hurston geduldig vor ihrem kleinen Büro in Kutaram, Terra, auf sie. Was er vorschlug, würde den Kurs des Unternehmens nachhaltig verändern.

Das Nachahmungsspiel
Victor Hurston war vor allem als Playboy mit einer Vorliebe für exotische Schiffe bekannt. Dennoch war das, was er den Brüdern Ingstrom vorschlug, einfach schockierend. Victor war in den Besitz eines Vanduul Glaive gekommen und fragte, ob Esperia ihn zum Laufen bringen könne. Obwohl es ihnen an Blaupausen und jeglichen Kenntnissen der Vanduul-Sprache fehlte, brachte das Esperia-Team es irgendwie zum Laufen. Einige Monate später enthüllte Victor Hurston das Glaive vor einem schockierten Publikum auf der 2877 IAE, der Menge, die beim Aufstieg ins Cockpit und beim Abheben Fieber hatte. Anschließend dankte Victor persönlich Esperia für die harte Arbeit, die sie geleistet haben, um den Schiffsflug vorzubereiten.

Über Nacht verbreitete sich der Name Esperia im ganzen Reich. Viele staunten, wie diese kleine Restaurierungsfirma die Vanduul-Technologie beherrscht hatte, während andere sie verfluchten, weil sie die Kriegswaffe des Feindes in ein reiches Kinderspielzeug verwandelt hatten. Theo sprang aus der Kontroverse zurück. Jovi nahm es an und benutzte es, um sein Image zu verbessern und eine Marke aufzubauen.

Dann stand die UEE Navy vor Esperias Tür. Regierungsingenieure hatten nie ganz herausgefunden, wie man gefangene Vanduul-Schiffe richtig funktionieren lässt, schon gar nicht auf dem Niveau, das Victor Hurston gezeigt hatte, und so beauftragten sie Esperia als Berater. Nachdem sich Theo und sein Team bewährt hatten, näherte sich die Regierung Esperia mit einem noch ehrgeizigeren Projekt - dem Bau von Nachbauten von Vanduul-Schiffen für die Ausbildung der Marine. Esperia musste seinen Betrieb schnell ausbauen, um den Regierungsauftrag zu erfüllen. Jovi arbeitete unermüdlich daran, dies zu erreichen, und es hat sich gelohnt. Esperia steht seither auf der Gehaltsliste der Marine.

Nachdem Esperia seinen Betrieb erweitert hatte, um den Regierungsauftrag zu erfüllen, verfügte es endlich über die Möglichkeit, hochwertige Repliken auch für den privaten Sektor herzustellen. Bald darauf fanden sich mehrere fast ausgestorbene Raumschiffe, die das Imperium in Form von Esperia-Reproduktionen wieder flogen. Vermögende Kunden strömten nach der Möglichkeit, diese limitierten Sammlerschiffe zu fliegen.

Vor kurzem erlaubte Esperia's besondere Beziehung zur UEE-Regierung ihnen den Zugang zum Kabalsystem, um die dort gefundenen alten Tevarin-Schiffe zu katalogisieren und zu bewerten. Sie haben seitdem den Prowler, das berühmte Boardingboot Tevarin, auf den Markt gebracht, das sorgfältig konstruiert wurde, um den Geist des ursprünglichen Schiffes wiederherzustellen und es mit modernen Funktionen und Komfort zu aktualisieren. Der Prowler schließt sich Repliken der Vanduul Glaive und Blade an, die das Unternehmen kürzlich im Rahmen eines neuen Geschäftsplans, der von der derzeitigen CEO Charlotte Hussion vorangetrieben wurde, an die Öffentlichkeit verkauft hat.

Esperia hat einen langen Weg zurückgelegt, seit Jovi und Theo es als Archiv für das Verschwinden von Schiffsplänen gegründet haben. Dennoch bleibt das Engagement des Unternehmens für die Bewahrung der Vergangenheit lebendig und gut und beeinflusst auch weiterhin die Zukunft. Jedes Jahr erhalten acht Studenten der University of Rhetor das Ingstrom-Stipendium für ihre Arbeit auf dem Gebiet der Xenoarchäologie.

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 4.12.
There’s an old saying that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” That has never been more true than with Esperia. The company produces fully-functional recreations of both historic and alien ships, and most recently, historic alien ships. Esperia’s ability to seamlessly blend modern function and luxury with classic and long-lost ship designs makes it utterly unique in the aerospace marketplace.

Interestingly enough, Esperia’s founding in 2873 was about history, not commerce. The company only became a major player in the aerospace industry thanks to a bit of luck, a big controversy, and the tireless drive of its two founders: Jovi and Theo Ingstrom. The Esperia story is truly about these brothers who hated, loved, and pushed each other to do what no one else dared.

Sibling Rivalry
The Ingstrom brothers were born and raised in Quasi, Terra. Their parents owned and operated a vast luxury hotel that catered to the tourists that visited this picturesque, mountainside city. As a kid, older brother Jovi was fascinated by the strange alien ruins just outside Quasi and would spend hours exploring them. Meanwhile, Theo hung out in the hotel’s hangar. There, he ogled the rare and expensive ships that came and went with the guests.

According to hotel staff at the time, while Jovi and Theo were a pleasure to be around individually, they became a terror when together; the brothers constantly antagonizing or daring each other to do reckless things. Edwin Kelce, author of Resurrecting Icons (the definitive biography on the brothers), suggests that the most notable incident occurred when they were teenagers, in 2866. Jovi dared Theo to stand on the railing of one of the hotel’s third story observation decks. Once his brother finally was perched on top, Jovi bumped the railing. Somehow Theo survived the fall, suffering only a broken arm.

Despite this rambunctiousness, their father detected a strong entrepreneurial instinct in Jovi and wanted him to learn the family business. Jovi refused and instead attended the University of Jalan to study xenoarchaeology. The following year, Theo began attending the University of Rhetor to learn aerospace engineering. Theo proved to be a gifted and motivated student. Jovi was expelled his sophomore year.

Following his expulsion, Jovi worked at the family hotel for a few months. He quickly tired of his parents’ constant scrutiny and wanted to return to his studies. His parents agreed to financially support him under the condition that he attend the University of Rhetor with his brother. Reportedly, his parents, both alumni, played the legacy card and made a sizable donation to the institution to ensure his application would be accepted.

Jovi moved in with Theo the next semester. The arrangement annoyed both brothers. Theo felt that his parents had burdened him with the additional responsibility of keeping his brother in line, while Jovi resented his younger brother looking over his shoulder. Then, in 2872, the two took a trip to the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) that would not only change their relationship, but also their futures.

Digital Archaeology
For years, Theo had been trying to get his hands on a Gailforce-model ship, known among engineering enthusiasts because it never made it to market after cost overruns drove its manufacturer out of business. While touring the show floor, Theo found a broken shell of a Gailforce for sale. Yet despite his efforts, he couldn’t talk down the private collector’s exorbitant purchase price. For the rest of the day, Theo rambled incessantly about the ship until Jovi decided to take matters into his own hands. Before anyone attributes Jovi’s actions as altruism, Resurrecting Icons claims that Jovi’s actual motivation was “to make Theo shut up.” He tracked down the collector that evening in the hotel bar and after a night of drinks, was able to talk down the price. Not only that, he managed to get a set of the ship’s original blueprints thrown in as well.

Theo used the blueprints to repair the ship, but ran into a snag when data corruption rendered a number of the pages unreadable. Jovi researched where they could obtain copies of the corrupted pages and was shocked to discover that blueprints were often harder to find than the ships themselves. The fact that the Gailforce’s blueprints had virtually vanished after only a few decades stunned Jovi.

After watching Theo repair and restore the Gailforce, he understood that ship blueprints were an essential part of aerospace history and was surprised that no one had thought to compile any kind of archive of these documents. Jovi saw an opportunity to combine his natural business acumen with his passion for history.

In 2873, Jovi dropped out of school, liquidated his trust fund, and started Esperia with the help of Theo. The company was named after a small-scale ship manufacturer, renowned in collector circles, that was tragically wiped out when the Orion System fell to the Vanduul. Esperia’s initial goal was to collect and preserve ship blueprints so more wouldn’t be lost to the sands of time.

Jovi and Theo began to buy as many ship blueprints as possible. Then they charged a recurring fee for access to these records, so collectors could restore their precious ships to the original specs. Jovi scoured the universe, paying good money for any blueprint he could find. It wasn’t long before Esperia had accumulated an impressive database, and had made a name for itself among collectors as a go-to source.

But the subscription model wasn’t lucrative and Esperia struggled to turn a profit. After Theo graduated from university, he began to buy and sell old ships he’d restored from Esperia blueprints. Jovi heavily advertised these restorations to show what was possible with their service. It wasn’t long before Theo’s reputation as a talented restorer drew more interest than the blueprints. One morning Victor Hurston was patiently waiting for them outside their small office in Kutaram, Terra. What he proposed would permanently alter the company’s course.

The Imitation Game
Victor Hurston was best known as a playboy with a penchant for exotic ships. Even so, what he proposed to the Ingstrom brothers was nothing short of shocking. Victor had come into possession of a Vanduul Glaive and asked if Esperia could get it up and running. Though they lacked blueprints and any knowledge of the Vanduul language, the Esperia team somehow got it working. A few months later, Victor Hurston unveiled the Glaive to a shocked audience at the 2877 IAE, the crowd reaching fever pitch when he climbed into the cockpit and took off. Afterwards, Victor personally thanked Esperia for their hard work on getting the ship flight ready.

Overnight, the name Esperia spread across the Empire. Many marveled at how this small restoration company had mastered Vanduul technology, while others cursed them for turning the enemy’s weapon of war into a rich kid’s toy. Theo recoiled from the controversy. Jovi embraced it, using it to advance their image and start building a brand.

Then the UEE Navy was at Esperia’s door. Government engineers had never quite figured out how to make captured Vanduul ships function properly, certainly not to the level that Victor Hurston had demonstrated, so they hired Esperia as consultants. After Theo and his team proved their worth, the government approached Esperia with an even more ambitious project — building replica Vanduul ships to be used in Navy training exercises. Esperia needed to quickly expand their operations to fulfill the government contract. Jovi worked tirelessly to make this happen and it paid off. Esperia has been on the Navy’s payroll ever since.

After expanding their operations to fulfill their government contract, Esperia finally had the facilities to produce quality replicas for the private sector too. Before long, several near-extinct spacecraft were to be found flying the Empire once again in the form of Esperia reproductions. Wealthy clients flocked for the chance to fly these limited-run collector ships.

Recently, Esperia’s special relationship with the UEE government allowed them access to the Kabal System to catalog and assess the ancient Tevarin ships found there. They have since brought to market the Prowler, the famed Tevarin boarding craft, which has been painstakingly constructed to recreate the spirit of the original ship while updating it with contemporary features and comforts. The Prowler joins replicas of the Vanduul Glaive and Blade that the company recently sold to the public under a new business plan pushed by current CEO Charlotte Hussion.

Esperia has come a long way since Jovi and Theo started it as an archive for vanishing ship blueprints. Still, the company’s dedication to preserving the past stays alive and well and continues to influence the future. Each year, eight students at the University of Rhetor receive the Ingstrom Fellowship for their work in the field of xenoarchaeology.