Although Broadswords are typically owned and operated by independant mercenary units, the KATANA is the property of the Imperial 214th Fleet (based out of Glisten/Glisten). The Irregular Operations department required a smallish paramilitary vessel for independant missions in District 268 where 'deniability' was sometimes necessary. (Given the crew of misfits and rejects that now crew the KATANA that 'deniability' has become essential!)

The captain, a Commander with the Rhylanor Subsector Navy, was assigned to the Irregualar Operations department in Glisten after loosing her preveous ship the BEUMONT (a Gazelle class Close Escort) under questionable circumstances. And while the KATANA is still intact Commander Petrovski has since lost both subcraft.

As for the rest of the crew:

• The ship's engineer (Sublieutenant Rico LaPush) is an alcoholic who likes to put blocks of TDX on remote control toy cars.
  
  
• The pilot/nav officer (Sublieutenant Augdon Cleavewehr) is a recluse who, despite a clean medical report, may suffer from occasional narcolepsy and/or some kind of drug addiction ... and is a suspected psi.
  
  
• The gunnery officer (Petty Office First Class Alexandra Wymouth) is a smallarms fanatic who usually 'assumes' authority for all off-ship activities (ignoring the chain of command) and has become the de-facto second in command.
  
  
• A marine (Sergeant Major Christoph Stein) has emotional hang-ups over food ... he is unable to eat in front of others or be with others who are eating, and narrowly missed courtmartial after he threw a donut at Admiral Româo during a mission briefing.
  
  
• The two junior engineers were having an affair together but now both have a crush on the marine (and constantly fight over it), a promising genius in the field of jumpspace theory (who was gaining experience by helping out in engineering) was killed in a firefight during an away-mission, the Vargr gunner was killed while attempting a gas giant refuelling skim in one of the subcraft …