Corporate Profile: Star Pony Express

Description:

Star Pony Express, Ltd. was founded by Tyrone Russell, a former Captain of the Line of the Fleet of Akasha. The Express is a fast courier service, generally transporting relatively small, high-value packages, and occasionally passengers willing to pay whatever it takes. The industry leader, over the years, SPX has built a sterling reputation for quick and reliable service.

The impetus to found the company came when Captain Russell, despite being the most feared and audacious commerce raider in the galaxy, was passed over for promotion for having too many affairs with admirals' daughters and wives. As a result, he resigned his commission in protest. Many of the senior officers and NCOs of the ADV Pegasus followed their captain into his self-imposed exile, most notably his genius Chief Engineer, Bernard Montgomery.

Several years later, Russell then used the wealth that he had amassed as a pirate hunter to purchase several Peregrine-class frigates, which had been declared obsolete and decommissioned. Under Commander Montgomery's supervision, the durable Peregrines were dramatically revamped, with an emphasis on speed, becoming the fastest ships in the galaxy. The Montgomery redesign proved so successful that it has been copied numerous times by many other military and civilian fleets, including the Republic's, which pressed modified Peregrine-class frigates back into service during the Second Unification War as the Kestrel-class. The Star Pony Express currently operates Peregrine IV-class frigates.

The company and her crews have fired the public's imagination with tales of derring do whilst battling space pirates, warlords, other outlaws and the elements to beat the clock. The Express has also done much to push advances in starflight technology and technique. Captain Russell has forged important strategic alliances with ship, engine and equipment manufacturers, with many new advances debuting on his boats. SPX then puts the ships and their crews to the ultimate test braving the dangers of Wild Space.

After the Federal Forces invaded the Republic, the rebel Fleet begged him to return to uniform or at least serve as a privateer. However, Russell refused, citing several large Terran contracts. During the Second War, like most other companies, SPX maintained a neutral position, doing any job for anyone if the price was right.