The Reluctant Vassal's Guide to Living in the Frontier (with some Treason)

As the first target for planetary colonization beyond Terra's immediate orbit, Mars has since become the substitute home for humanity once the original cradle was abandoned. The planet has since shed its barren landscape to become a sprawling city of towering proportions, something truly worthy of being called the capital of the United Empire. Little wonder then that being able to live on Mars is a highly sought and prized dream for many.

Among the soaring skyscrapers and across from the grand Senate building stands the Solar Palace, a large complex of buildings that make up the personal homestead of House Sol. Do not mistake its rustic appearance as an antiquated construct, especially with the bristling array of cutting edge defenses and legion of elite guards within. Only those who possess a bloodline tracing back to the First Stellarch may enter its innermost chambers.

The artificial domes of Venus provide both sanctuary from the acid rains that plague the planet and excellent research environments for a variety of controlled environments. They are often in high demand and are sought-after by eager scientists of many fields, regardless of borders. Many times, the conditions for their usage involve accepting teaching positions at local educational institutions.

As such, it should come as no surprise that the academies on Venus are often regarded as the most prestigious and learned schools of the United Empire. This reputation has compounded in on itself to raise the expectations of these facilities itself, resulting in an expansion from more traditional sciences to cover unorthodox studies such as philosophical studies, poltical coaching, and military theory. Possessing a proof of education from Venus is said to be a gateway to many career paths across the galaxy, even in the Free States.

Carefully, slowly, reverently, the nearly-finished ingot was placed before the Hyacinth Prism who studied it thoroughly. Her helmet provided helpful scans and analysis that she glanced briefly at, but didn't rely upon for the greater application of skill now. Rather, once she was sure where to strike, she hefted her hammer and then brought it down onto the glowing bar of solarium.

Sparks flew and there was a flash, then the red-hot appearance rapidly faded into a warmer aura, one that made the expert pleased. "A high grade purity bar. Halle-fucking-juah." She motioned and other Prisms swiftly stepped forward to carefully wrapped up. It had to still be properly consecrated with the proper rites administered to bless the material, but they were building up a stockpile of these ingots to do it all in one go.

She rested her hammer against the floor of the Solarium Forge now and worked at her helmet. Once it was finally pried off, she sucked in a breath of fresh air, or what could at least pass for it on a space station in orbit around the star. There were beads of sweat on Kat's brow and her arms slightly ached from swinging her tool all day, but none could deny the expression of tired satisfaction when she looked out over the busy workstations nearby. Each of them was a stage in the sacred method of creating solarium of both high and low purity, either one of them always hailed as a gift from the powers that be to the Helmsmen.

Pure solarium was admittedly, without a doubt, far more valuable with greatly increased capacities and augmentations. There was a reason why it was reserved almost exclusively for the uplifting of new Brilliance Knights. At this stage, the alloy was almost more liquid than solid, meaning it was far easier to add to the human body as an additional factor in addition to its superior potential. These were always the hardest to create, almost always like a happenstance accident even for veteran Prisms like Kat. Such rarity only adds to the feelings of rapture and revelation when it does occur, near-divine circumstance that no amount of science could ever quantify.

The next stage down was near-pure, often referred to simply as high-grade solarium. It was almost as good as pure, but thoroughly settled and rooted without the needed adaptation of its superior state. Hence it was marked for making the arms of Brilliance Knights, from the Guardian Suits they wore to the arms they bore. These, like Kat had just demonstrated, were the product that experienced Prisms would forge most of the time and be satisfied with. There could never be enough, especially with the constant popular demand for specialty creations either for purpose or collection.

Finally there was the lowest tier that majority Prisms could smash together, politely referred to as low-grade academically but derogatorily called impure solarium. It was almost near-heretical to label it such but this was the basest form of the material that was only just a little better than something of Grade 1 trade restrictions within the United Empire. That was not to say it wasn't useful, but it did not possess the same necessary quality that the Helmsmen had come to expect of the material at all. So it was relegated to more civilian everyday uses that did not have the same strain or stress of the greater duties.

Kat pressed her lips together and smoothly slide her helmet back on. She accessed the display before her eyes with a few blinks to bring up a current inventory of the various solarium types currently in storage. It was at about a ratio consistent with the trend observed throughout history: 53% low-grade, 44% high-grade, 3% pure.

That was all good and last she checked, production currently met the demand when it came to training new warriors of House Iris. But that applied mainly to high-grade and pure types. When it came to low-grade, records helpfully forwarded from the Solar Queen's office indicated a surplus. Kat's grip on her hammer tightened and her face screwed up in a distasteful expression. That's a real fucking bother that I hate. We can't be wasting this much solarium, laying about doing sweet fuck all!

So she now accessed the project archives, a very thorough research database kept by the Prisms to record and log their experiments and tests of solarium. Back on Helm, it was an expansive and vast collection that featured so many ideas and experiences of those over the years, a holy repository of blessed knowledge. But now, Kat felt the slight pain in her chest at the sight of it barren and she stilled for a moment, soaking in the reminder that so much had been lost with their new start.

Yet she pushed on and began to look through what there was, eyes narrowing in focus. She wanted to identify at least three concepts to tinker about with, something that could fulfill House Iris' request for civic improvement. This, Kat was determined to carry out, trusting the one she served. What we once had, we will discover again. I won't let a dark age happen on my goddamn watch!

[ ] [Awaken] Star Barracks. Unit standards are a mark of honor among House troops. Presenting one made of solarium makes it a mark of faith. Upgrade for Camp Barracks. Decreases Resources by one (1). Increases Influence by two (2). Requires six (6) research progress.

[ ] [Awaken] Sunrise Farm. A special-built server farm that draws upon solarium power to farm credits from loan interest. It is not recommended that personnel enter while it is active, lest they either freeze or boil alive. Upgrade for Sunrise Bank. Upgrades Post into Chain. Increases Wealth by two (2). Requires eight (8) research progress.

[ ] [Awaken] Solar Drydock. Ornately decorated shrines made of solarium batteries now provide the energy necessary for zero-g construction, greatly reducing operation costs while adding a sense of ceremony to ship-building. Upgrade for Void Drydock. Increases Resources by half of Resources consumption. Decreases Influence by half of Resources consumption. Requires six (6) research progress.

- Solarium research is going to lean more into unconventional stat adjustments with unconventional prices. I'm probably going to get a headache trying to make balance-sense, but eh. We ball.
- This is just researching the unlock, you still also need to build after this.
- The Solar Drydock basically will apply the number stat based off the individual ship class, hence the slightly awkward text. Hope that isn't too confusing.