Crystal Millennium

Crystal Millennium
Nicknames	Senshi, Action Girls
Home Base	Crystal Tokyo, Venus
Population (2015 rough)	n/a
Political Influence	Major
Allies	Wizards, Supers, Stellvians
Major Achievements	The Crystal Cities Venus Terraforming Project Sailor Senshi Armed Militia
Stereotype	Sexy women’s-libbers who wear revealing clothing.

This is the largest coalition of fandoms with a common theme. The Crystal Millenium are the “action girl” Fen, with the Sailor Moon fen and the other magical-girl fandoms at the top. But this is the faction where you’ll find the fans of Buffy, Xena Warrior Princess, Kim Possible, Really Spies, Sabrina The Teenaged Witch and even Birds of Prey (although that last group are also often found in the Supers faction). There are even a handful of Dragonriders and a contingent of mecha pilots in the Senshi. Their top priority for the last few years has been the Venus Terraforming Project.

They draw inspiration from a large number of magical-girl and grrl-power stories, and not just the happy ones. Many of them are also gothic lolita crowds. The main thing that keeps the Senshi united as a faction is that they tend to be female and believe in “Love and Justice.”

One notable thing about the Senshi faction is that they offer... reassignment. Nobody talks about it openly, but it is known that if a man is having gender-identity issues, he can approach the Senshi faction for custom biomodding. It is an unspoken rule that you never ask a Senshi about her past life before she joined the faction and not dig too deep into whatever story she chooses to tell you. The “price” for such services (which are approaching becoming quirk-free) is a term of service on important Senshi-related duties. A small but important percentage of the Senshi (around 10%) identify as “fendane” in this regard. They say research is underway to answer the other side of the sexual identity dilemma, but the process is still too quirk-heavy and unique to work on a broad scale.

While their uniforms tend towards the revealing (most obviously in the “Sailor Senshi” short-skirt-over-leotard outfit and the “Emma Peel” catsuit), they are nonetheless very effective. A custom handwaving process that the Senshi keep secret creates their uniforms and gear, which is as protective as modern riot gear (and much more flexible). The only common quirk is that it fills the wearer with a sense of drama; Senshi in uniform are about ten times more likely to take any opportunity to pose and give a speech than otherwise.

Senshi use the same kinds of weapons as everyone else in Fenspace. Some Senshi keep trying to create magical wands for fighting evil, but so far have had less than success. The cognitive disconnect of seeing short-skirted girls wielding firearms can be jarring at first.

Subgroups

Besides (and across) their fiction-specific groupings, the Senshi subdivide into three informal subfactions, based on the members' outlook on life.

The Love Subfaction

These Senshi believe that what the Senshi should be doing is making life better. Creating new technology, terraforming Venus, advancing art and science and philosophy. The Love subfaction contains thinkers and dreamers, people who want to serve as a shining example.

At their best, the Love subfaction are idealists who get things done. They help to develop new forms of medicine and recreation and are nice people. At their worst, they are lazy hedonists, more interested in acquiring new toys and experiencing new sensations then work. They shuck of responsibility and whine and complain when forced to do things.

The Justice Subfaction

These Senshi believe that they should stop thinking and Do Something. The Justice subfaction is the most ardent supporter of women’s rights in Fenspace. Sexism is still surprisingly common among nerds and geeks, and they seek to correct this. But more importantly, they see women’s rights as an issue they should deal with on Earth as well. There is a small but significant (and well supported under-the-table) group in the Justice Faction who liberate oppressed women (and other minorities) on Earth. Most of these women are moved to new lives in other places on Earth. Some suspect that small biomods are used to conceal these women in their new lives. A small minority are taken up to space, to help as they can. They almost always join the Justice subfaction.

Unsurprisingly, the Justice subfaction is well behind Operation Great Justice. They believe Haruhi is pretty much their leader, and really like her ideas – there has been some talk of electing Haruhi to the official leadership of the Justice subfaction.

At their best, the Justice subfaction are dynamic people who accomplish a great deal. They put in twenty-hour days doing thankless jobs because It’s The Right Thing To Do. At their worst, they’re control freaks and demagogues who believe They Know Best – militant feminists, borderline fascists, and very dangerous.

The Black Subfaction

This is an un-talked-about subfaction that is very, very much in the minority. The Black subfaction is made up of goths, nihilists and other malcontents who left Earth not so much out of a sense of hope and exploration but because it sucked less than living on Earth. The Black subfaction does not believe in anything, which means they aren’t really organized at all.

For the most part, they’re harmless, if a little depressing to be around. The Senshi took them in as a whole because the Love subfaction (especially the Perky Goths) thinks it can help them stop being so gloomy and the Justice subfaction thinks it can use the manpower.

The Senshi Sailors Armed Militia

While the term “sailor-suited warrior” is integral to the base description of the canonical ur-senshi, the “Sailor” part has, over the years, become something more generic. Despite being the default woman’s lib faction of Fenspace, even the Justice subfaction have to admit that women get a more fair shake than they’ve ever had on the “old dirtball.” This has led to quite a number of residents of the Crystal Cities being people who don’t really cleave to the concept of “girl power” that the Crystal Cities draws its central image from.

These folk (mostly female, but other genders are not excluded) have latched onto the “sailor” appellation and made it their own. The various countries on Earth have long and, in the most part, honorable and glorious naval traditions. To be a sailor in the British Navy or U.S. Coast Guard is an honorable thing, and provides a set of goals and rules to live a good life by.

The Sailors have done their best to put this concept into work in Fenspace, borrowing heavily from the naval traditions of Earth, ignoring most of the bits that simply don’t apply anymore (the practice of “casting the log” has survived, but is now a hazing ritual designed to make newbies realize that yes, they actually are in outer frigging space).

The crowned-golden-anchor insignia of the Sailors is a very recognizable symbol around Fenspace. It strongly implies that the bearer is trustworthy, honest, and courageous.

Sailors are colloquially called “Sailors” or “Sammies,” and these terms apply equally to all genders.

Many Sailors are not full-time military members; many people who have full-time occupations maintain a Reserve rank (usually simply an organizational convenience – ranks below Colonel are assigned on a fairly ad-hoc basis in the Sailors) and membership in the Sailors organization. As Reserve Sailors, their duties are primarily to live by the Sailor code, to respond to high-priority requests for assistance by Sailor central command, and to maintain a “State of Readiness to Act Against the Enemies of Humanity.” (Sailor bureaucratic plumage has taken a close dramatic resemblance to Age of Sail British nomenclature.) Notable Reserves include Hermes (the AI majordomo of Hephaestus), ‘Mizz’ Nezumi of the Blue Blazer Irregulars, R. Yayoi Fujisawa (the chief pilot attached to Stellvia), and the entire crew of the Pinafore.

Active Sailors are those who are full-time members of the Sailors corps. They can be found on patrol, training new recruits, researching, or active in the other main pursuit of the S.S.A.M. – search and rescue. No-one has responded to more distress calls and automated beacons than the Sailors, and while they carry that as a mark of pride, they search and save because they believe it’s the right thing to do.

Named Sailors

Very, very occasionally, a Senshi (whether a full-time faction member or a Sammie reservist) will be granted the honor of being listed as a Named Senshi. This honor is never given out on a whim, because there is only one Named Senshi for any given installation or planet.

Named Senshi are the ones that have proven themselves to be exemplars of the ideals of the Crystal Millennium. Being compassionate, swift and sure in battle, and attractive are usually good indicators of potential to become a Named Senshi.

While a Named Senshi is allowed to add the "star seed" sunburst to her (or rarely his) insignia, many don't bother. Technically, Planetary Senshi (Named Senshi who have been awarded planetary names) outrank other Named Senshi, but since there is currently only one Planetary Senshi and she doesn't throw her weight around, this rarely matters.

Known Named Senshi include A.C. Peters, Sailor Mars; Yayoi Fujisawa, Sailor Stellvia; and Anika Springfield, Sailor Atalante.

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