For The Tyrants Fear Your Might (A quest of interstellar rebellion)

AKuz · Dec 10, 2020

THE ALL-RADIANT CONGRESS

Setting Information: The Solarian Compact:

Initially formed as the Solarian Treaty Organization from the ashes of the old United Nations Security Council, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and the Global Climate Relief Organization in the worst decade of Earth's environmental collapse. The STO was originally a body tasked with overseeing the granting of offworld mining permits and the purchase and distribution of the resources to countries struggling from climate change.

The advent of the Korolev-Chandrashker gates and the construction of the first one under STO oversight in 2063 led to the beginning of the transformation of that body into the de facto single governing body of the Human species.

Reorganized into the 'Solarian Compact', the first Charters were granted to massive corporate conglomerates to explore and exploit the cosmos for Humanity with little to no regulation or restriction.

In the early decades, the Solarian Compact oversaw the construction of KC gates in the systems closest to Sol and began the process of granting colonization rights to the most habitable worlds within that region with colonization rights granted to a number of national and international blocks.

With the growth of the Solarian Compact's power came calls for the body to become more representative and democratic, and in 2099, the Solarian Compact held its first elections and constitutional convention, inviting representatives from the Sol system and the five systems that held permanent Human settlement.

Over the course of the 22nd and 23rd centuries the Solarian Compact has held fast to what it sees as its duty to act as the mediator and financier of the Charters, the unifying agent of the disparate first Human colonies, and the guarantor of interstellar peace for Humanity.

As of 2252, the three most important bodies within the Solarian Compact are the Solarian Parliament -Located on Earth, the Solarian Compact Navy -based in the Korolev-Chandrashker system, and the Solarian Central Bank, -based out of the Columbia System.

Organized as a liberal democracy, with universal suffrage, the Solarian Compact is theoretically overseen by three equal institutions: the Solarian Parliament, the office of the Solarian Secretary General, and the Solarian High Court.

Though the Solarian Compact prides itself on being a Constitutional government, the actual original document merely outlines the terms of admitting new MPs and High Court Judges, and the electoral procedures of the Compact Parliament, with subsequent Parliaments meeting to add items like the Declaration of Property Rights, the founding of the Central Bank, the creation of the Solarian Navy, and the Laws on Freedom of Navigation and Travel being added later.

The Solarian Parliament is made up of two thousand six hundred and twenty seats representing ridings on Earth, Columbia, Atlantis, Penglai, Olduvai, and Epsilon which are elected every three years to a Parliament that meets in the New York prefecture of Earth.

Though the many frontier colonies do not have direct representation in the Parliament due to being owned and operated by private entities, their inhabitants are considered 'Absent for Employment' and may register with a home riding and submit a physical ballot (for security reasons) by courier from when polls open until they close. Though this process was suitable for the closely settled regions of space at the time of the ratification of the Compact Constitution in 2100, the rapid growth of Human settled space in the century and a half since has seen the de facto voter suppression of over 90% of Human settled space.

At the first sitting of each new Compact Parliament, the assembled members will elect a Secretary General and a slate of Ministry officials on a majority basis, and those individuals will oversee the executive branch of government and day to day operations. Though the average Compact Parliament contains between seven to nine parties in each Parliamentary sitting, the vast majority of seats belong to one of either the Party for Human Rights and Liberties or the Justice and Development Alliance and have since the very early 2100s. The governments formed this way can be brought down by losing the confidence of the Parliament for example, by failing to pass a budget, the process of finding a majority government will repeat again.

Though a democratic body that has maintained stability for over a century and a half, the Solarian Compact Parliament has been dogged by accusations of dynastic politics, Charter influence, voter suppression, regulatory capture, inability to reign in the Banks and MIlitary, and corruption at all levels.

Separate from the Parliament is the Solarian High Court that consists of eleven judges that serve terms of up to thirty-three years, with each new sitting of the Compact Parliament selecting one judge from a list provided by the governments of the six main worlds of the Solarian Compact. The High Court rules on matters of adherence of laws to the Solarian Constitution, and have been accused of serving as an arm of the Charters, though this has been strenuously contested by the Solarian legal profession as a whole.

By law the Solarian Compact also oversees a number of other important institutions including the Earth Reconstruction Commission (In a permanent public-private partnership with the Earth Reconstruction Association), the Solarian Central Bank, and the Solarian Compact Navy, though these important institutions often exhibit an alarming degree of autonomy from Parliamentary control.

The Charters:

The result of a cleverly conceived merger between specialty transport vessel manufacturer Titan Staryards and Private Military contractor Martian Military Solutions, Ares cut its teeth not just supplying material to the skirmishes between Mississippi Shipping and United Starhaul, but in supplying military contractors to both sides.

The professionalism of Ares mercenaries and quality of Ares gear led to the rapid expansion of business opportunities for the company and investment skyrocketed even after the Mississippi-Starhaul war ended in a hostile takeover of Starhaul by Mississippi.

Thanks in part to Mississippi debts held by Ares, when the RT-2102 Gate was opened up for settlement strategic maneuvering saw the Compact grant Ares mining and settlement rights to the newly opened system.

The rest, as they say, is history. Leveraging the immense resources of the Alexander system with their existing military expertise, Ares expanded nearly exponentially over the following century. While they maintain a dominating edge in the military field, they now integrated companies in fields from agronomy to personal fitness centers to xenobiology.

Internally Ares very self consciously styles itself as a hierarchical military organization complete with a semi-formal rank structure and an ethos of respect for the chain of command, professional courtesy, and treating your subordinates with respect. In practice Ares is hidebound, authoritarian, filled with passive aggressive sniping and rampant empire building.

While Ares remains headquartered on Mars, they have holdings in several systems and own the distant system of Alexander outright.

Rhodes Mining

One of the three original Charters that the Compact granted, Rhodes considers itself the singular reason that Humanity survived ecological collapse and spread past Sol. Immensely wealthy, over 52% of all material mined and processed by the entire Human race has passed through Rhodes hands at one point or another.

While founded merely to provide Earth the vital materials that it needed to rebuild itself after the lost decades of ecological collapse, Rhodes quickly expanded into all areas of the economy to support their mining, refining, and processing operations.

Dedicated to their vision of logistical chain efficiencies they've developed an entire chain of star systems into an efficient production center based around the resource rich system of Foundry, and the nearby feeder systems of Ecrams, Qem, and Crucible.

Rhodes considers itself home to a version of meritocracy built on hard work, education, and good old fashioned personal drive. This has developed over time into a stratified internal divide between the rank and file workers, the lower level management, and the highly lauded senior management. Each class lives in entirely separate worlds, attending separate schools, consuming different products, and leading very different lives in what many observers have labelled a de facto caste system.

they make food and medicine, the 120 year old CEO is kinda creepy tho?

Techbros, some of them science, some of them explore

Born from the union of Hermes Interstellar Services and The Ishtar Group, the Hermes-Ishtar Corporation owns and operates not only the communications backbone of Compact space, but much of the content that crosses over it.

The results of increasing consolidation of pre-spaceflight communications infrastructure and content creation and management firms, Hermes Communications and Ishtar Entertainment Group were both part of the second round of Charters established after the advent of the KC gates.

While Hermes quickly established operations throughout Compact space, their waystations, couriers, and communications repeaters a common sight in every corner of Human occupied space; Ishtar Group mainly limited their own operations to Sol and the Radiant system, where Ishtar owned and operated the world of Elysium to support their many projects.

Following a wave of Compact space wide reorganizations following the Mississippi-Starhaul conflicts of the 2130s, a desire for complete vertical integration on Ishtar's part led to a mostly amicable union with Hermes in 2139.

Since then Hermes-Ishtar have dominated all communications across Human space with only the privileged internal high-level communications of the other Charters managing to avoid consolidation under Hermes-Ishtar.

While Hermes-Ishtar make a great show of respecting individual creativity, initiative, and drive from their employees; in practice this amounts to rampant internal fighting involving the parasocial personality cults of different "genius" inventors, artists, and executive that rise and fall inside of Hermes-Ishtar at a dizzying rate.

Sketchy buggers, they can get you anything tho

Historical Topics:

Between 2036 and 2071 the Democratic Federation was the governing body of much of Earth's Western Hemisphere.

Initially comprised of a Federation of Socialist, Anarchist, Communist, and other far left social movements, militias, and political factions controlling regions of Earth's North American continent during and after the decline and collapse of the United States of America (1776-2034) due to the effects of unaddressed climate change amplifying existing political and economic crisis.

Eventually solidifying into the governing body of the former United States of America, United States of Mexico and the Dominion of Canada, the Democratic Federation embarked on an ambitious program of cultural revolution and economic reform designed to mitigate and reverse the effects of the climate change crisis.

As the patron of much of the central and southern western hemisphere, the Democratic Federation attempted to chart a course of environmental restoration separate from that of the Solarian Treaty Organization (In 2063 reorganized into the Solarian Charter), choosing not to contest Eurasian and African domination of outer space.

Having never existed out of crisis conditions, a combination of pre-existing economic damage, sabotage, and instability drove the Democratic Federation into decline in the Grey Decade of 2062 to 2070 and eventually forced the Democratic Federation to ratify a series of treaties giving the Charters economic access to Federation member states in order to conduct vital reconstruction work.

A last ditch uprising by radical elements in 2072 to eject the Charters from the Democratic Federation failed when Solarian Compact peacekeepers were called in and in seven months of street fighting pacified most of North America's key urban centers via strategic use of orbital weapons on the areas of greatest urban resistance.

Though guerilla warfare would continue in the Western Hemisphere for another three decades, the Democratic Federation was officially defunct by December 2072 and parcelled out into a number of Charter owned reconstruction areas under Compact authority.

Today radicals still pine for the four decades that the Democratic Federation attempted to build an alternative to the emerging Charters, and the polity's distinctive black, red, and green flag is brought out for each and every Great Black Summer. Well into the twenty second century, riots were often accompanied by demands to 'Avenge the Martyrs of 72!'.

Despite this underground extremist nostalgia, Charter and Compact schools teach that the Democratic Federation was a collectivist state whose iconoclastic behavior saw the destruction of famous landmarks like Mount Rushmore, Stone Mountain, and other monuments to Liberal Democracy and the Free Market in a mad attempt to remake the human race, but whose doctrinaire adoption of command economics saw them unable to deal with the ever-changing complexities of climate change.

Misc Details:

The first five systems to hold permanent Human colonies are known as either "The First Sisters" or "Earth's Daughters", depending on who you are asking and their political persuasion. From oldest to youngest, these worlds are:

Columbia: settled by billionaire American expats and tens of millions of refugees who had fled the unfolding revolutionary violence of the North American continent several years beforehand. Columbia was founded under a vision of fidelity to the American dream and to prove the indomitability of the soul of the United States of America and liberalism in the face of the red flags of the (North American) Democratic Federation. Fiercely loyal to the Compact and the dream of Charter prosperity, and home of the Solarian Central Bank, Columbia is often known as the "Gilded World" in reference to what many see as a return to American Gilded Age wealth and social inequality. Ares Conflict Solutions' central command is located here.

Atlantis: With colonization rights to this majority oceanic planet initially granted to the waning power of the European Union, the nations of the EU opened up colonization opportunities to other allied powers, especially Russia and Egypt. Atlantis was often seen by the EU as a place to dump unwanted refugees from outside of Europe's borders, and Russia and Egypt's tendency to see the world as a genuine project led to the usurpation of colonization rights away from Europe in the mid 2080s. Known today as the most restive of the first wave of colonies, Atlantis is the most skeptical of Charter power and plays a delicate game of wealth redistribution to underwrite the greatest social security net in Human Space. Cernunnos is de jure headquartered here.

Penglai: Originally the world in the most need of terraforming of the original colonies, Colonization rights were granted to the People's Republic of China and their allies after a lackluster bidding campaign. As China's focus was mainly on attempting to stem the damage of climate change on Earth herself, colonization of Penglai initially lagged until the Chinese Politburo struck upon the strategy of subcontracting colonization rights to Pacific adjacent nations suffering from the rise of that ocean. As colonization unfolded in the early 22nd century Penglai became known as a multicultural mosaic as hundreds of millions from across the Pacific settled and intermingled on the wine darkened shores of that world. Known today for its vibrant cultural milieu, violent clashes between labour unions, and private police, Penglai hosts the headquarters of the Hermes-Ishtar, Omoikane and Rhodes corporations.

Olduvai: With Colonization rights granted to a coalition of African nations at the height of the 'African Century', the African Colonization Organization did not see their colony as a refugee destination, dumping ground, or resource colony like their fellows. Instead the ACO saw the colonization scheme as an opportunity to preserve and export the rich traditions and cultures of Africa on their own terms, fully intending to set up healthy and self-sufficient colonies. To the current day, Olduvai has the closest relations with the home nations and is the heartland of Daughter sentiment and a bedrock for the Party for Human Rights and Liberties.

Epsilon System: While not technically a single world, the cluster of heavily inhabited space colonies in the Epsilon system are always considered the 'Fifth Sister' or 'Fifth Daughter'. As the most mineral rich system of the original colonies, Epsilon was the source of many of the materials that helped pull Earth through her darkest hour, and the system was recognized for their efforts by being invited to send delegates to the 2099 Solarian Compact Constitutional Convention. Epsilon is famous for its people's long roots in spacing and for being the headquarters of Mississippi Shipping Interstellar and thus the most heavily trafficked system in history.
Technologies: Nanomanufacturing, summary:

The contemporary gold standard for manufacturing. These devices use mechanosynthesis, a process that guides chemical reactions by placing reactive molecules with atomic precision. Ribosomes in the body's cells use a form of this method.

While the largest units can create objects up to 2m x 2m x 2m, smaller units (halving the units each time) are viable on basically any human scale. Projects larger than this size (such as ships or buildings, need to be either grown layer-by-layer via nanofabricators attached to robotic arms, or assembled from smaller parts through traditional assembly line, dry dock, or construction processes.

In principle basically anything can be made with these devices, and some materials can only be manufactured via these methods in microgravity. All manufacturing patterns in Compact Space feature Charter DRM using embedded explosive molecules like octaazacubane or cubic gauche nitrogen that will damage a disassembler or x-ray machine making reverse engineering of their products difficult.

A common part of 23rd century life is the near ubiquity of Artificial Intelligences in daily life, from consumer grade VIs through specialist TLIs, controversial AGIs, finally the perpetually 10 years away Artificial Super Intelligences.

The common consumer will daily run into what are properly known as Narrow AIs, and generally labelled as VI -Virtual Intelligences- by people outside the field. This category covers a broad swathe of techniques, from search and pathfinding to expert systems to genetic fuzzy trees to deep neural networks, which are mixed and matched with each other to optimize for the designed task. VIs are ubiquitous, exceeding human peak skill in their areas of specialization (though real world applications often don't do all that much better than trained humans), and have spent the past two centuries getting augmented with more and more clever algorithmic tricks for improving VIs. In order to do this, the Charters employ large teams of analysts and software engineers to develop clever algorithmic tricks that supplement or outright supplant neural networks, exploiting machine precision where stochastic methods are inadequate.

The use of VIs in everyday life is well accepted by the vast majority of the population, with professionals mixing and matching various consumer VIs to analyse data or assist them with creative or scientific works. Some VI lines are well loved by both the populace and the Charters themselves, with Charter programmers often deliberately leaving VIs with behavioral quirks and unpredictable glitches that not only save money on quality assurance, but are considered endearing traits that lead to anthropomorphization by the consumer market

Despite the mass comfortability and profitability of VIs of all kinds, the introduction of AGIs has been, to put it delicately, controversial. Though computer science has advanced to the point of producing programs that can not only pass the Turing test, but demonstrate sapience and match 23rd century human intelligence, flexibility, and creativity, the public reaction to the introduction of AGI saw the companies of the time rapidly pull them from the market, and even say the Compact itself move to heavily regulate the AI sector.

First introduced in the 2060s, the great tech firms began replacing their work staff with AGIs who did not require food, rest, housing, or pay. This shift led to an alliance between white collar workers fearing that automation would put them out of work and radicals who opposed what they insisted was AGI Slavery, a growing movement that would climax in the First Great Black Summer of 2084. When the ashes of the First Black Summer settled, the Compact's Parliament moved to grant rights to AGIs, and the resulting economic damage saw dozens of formerly great names in computing consolidate under the aegis of several of the first Charters who flaunted their extra-Solarian wealth by buying up prestigious brand names and research divisions on the cheap.

Since the 2080s, while the regulation surrounding AGI production and use have been severely weakened none of the Charters have sought to reintroduce them into the market, perhaps fearing another backlash like the First Black Summer and the few hundred thousand surviving AGIs that were granted Solarian Citizenship rights have found spread throughout the Compact and Charter Space where they usually work at the same white collar jobs whose workers they were designed to replace.

Perhaps due to the risks of attempting to reintroduce AGIs to the market, Omoikane has instead introduced their flagship product the "TLI" or Temporary Limited Intelligence. Approximately as effective as an AGI, a TLI is billed as a more moral replacement for AGI that uses a suite of high end VIs and a proprietary batch of creativity algorithms in order to complete complex tasks.

TLIs are used as a fire and forget program designed to be licensed to solve a single issue, no matter how complicated and then delete itself. Though the TLIs are a black box product, scientists from the other Charters believe that the central creativity algorithm in the TLI is inherently unstable and rapidly degrades in ability with time, making the TLI an instance of Omoikane attempting to market a critical technical flaw as a selling point that is accepted due to the ubiquitous market practice of planned obsolescence and artificial scarcity.

Though expensive, most businesses and successful professionals will keep a few licensed Omoikane TLIs on hand to throw at difficult problems or to supplement manpower in crunch situations.

While AGIs have been possible for nearly two centuries, the promise of a Seed AI, a recursively self-improving general superintelligence, is perpetually 'a decade away from the market', and no successful ASI ever been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Charters or the Compact.

This is not to say that the Gödel machine architecture or the AIXI model has somehow been forgotten in the past 230 years, but that the Friendly AI problem has yet to be cracked. Every demonstration has either stalled out or gone immediately rampant, attempting to overthrow Charter Space before being stopped by the safety net of Narrow AIs. The small trickle of roughly human intelligence level AGIs that are created every decade typically come from these projects.

Urban legends persist that a few Seed AIs managed to escape and hide out beyond known space, plotting to return and crush humanity, or that they control all of society in secret, puppeting the Compact and Charters from their very foundation and occasionally engineering publicly failed ASI attempts to allay suspicion. These rumours are, of course, patently false, and simply the fevered imagination of crackpots at work, no doubt inspired by entertainment made by Hermes-Ishtar that feature AI supervillainy.
Systems: Map made by @Redshirt Army

The Spinward Frontier:

The Middle Spinward Frontier

The Core Region:

UNDER RADIANT CONTROL OR ALLIED:

The Radiant system is host to a G-class star, only slightly smaller than Sol. The system itself is rather small and resource-poor; experts believe that one or more Jovian planets ejected much of the system's bodies and then followed themselves. This is evidenced by the system's asteroid belt degrading over time, with high levels of eccentric orbits and impacts on planetary surface.

Radiant 1: A rather unremarkable airless iron planet, gravity 0.4 Earth Standard.

Radiant 2: A slightly larger unremarkable airless iron-silicate planet, gravity 0.6 Earth Standard.

Radiant 3: A binary planetary system and the outermost of the Radiant systems' planets.

Asphodel (Radiant 3a): The larger of the Elysium 3 pair, Asphodel might have once hosted life of its own. That life has been snuffed out for hundreds of millions of years, though, as the planet's significant atmosphere began the runaway cycle of your usual hothouse planet. Hermes-Ishtar maintained a significant aerostat and automated surface miner operation for in-house manufacturing, given that the frequent asteroid impacts from the asteroid belt keep digging up chunks of the upper crust and having low-melting-point metals rain out of the sky and solidify, unoxidized, on the surface for collection. Gravity 1.4 Earth Standard.

Elysium (Radiant 3b): Elysium was settled in the late 2190's, being a relatively simple affair. Simple life had already begun to evolve under its oceans, but continued orbital bombardment far past the lengths of things like Earth's Late Heavy Period had kept it there. It was a simple matter of forming up a small anti-asteroid task force armed with tugs and mining lasers to artificially end the pummeling, and the surface proved amenable to Terran life transplants. The colony is energy-self-sufficient, using a variety of solar, tidal, and nuclear power. Gravity 0.9 Earth Standard.

Radiant I: The outermost significant feature of Radiant, this asteroid belt is more a loose mixture of a primordial asteroid belt much like Sol's with a Kuiper belt. The shepherding gas giants which once nudged all these rocks into their orbits are gone, and with it the entire outer system is a maelstrom of chaotic orbits as the belts lose their coherence. This requires constant vigilance from Elysium's anti-asteroid team, but the high eccentricity of many asteroids also makes it cheap and easy to mine the ones that might come Elysium's way, which provides a trickle of basic resources for upkeep and personal goods. All large-scale building and infrastructure projects have been supplied from out-system, however.

A G-K far binary system, Gaid is simply a transit point to Radiant. Gaid's own gate maintenance techs and SAR rotated in and out through Radiant itself. There is no infrastructure other than a set of buoy lines for communications in Gaid A, and nothing in Gaid B.

Gaid A1: An airless world. Quality 10.

Gaid A2: A planet much like mars with a vestigial CO2 atmosphere. Quality 7.

Gaid A3: This planet boasts a methane hydrosphere. Quality 4.

Gaid AI: An asteroid belt.

Gaid A4: A turbulent Jovian planet, its storms would make resource extraction difficult. Quality 5.

Gaid A4a: An icy moon, with tidal heating creating a large ocean under a thin icy shell. Quality 9.

Gaid B1: A molten Cthonian world hosting a simply ludicrous amount of iron. Quality 15.

Gaid B2: An airless world. Quality 10.

Gaid B3: An airless binary system with two near-identically sized planets. Quality 7 and 8.

Gaid B4: This airless planet boasts a large and beautiful ring system, famous as a screen background option across human space. Every few years, a cruise or scientific expedition will stop by for more images.

Gaid B5: A small icy planet. Quality 3.

Gaid B6: A frozen world. Quality 7.

Gaid B7: An interesting gas dwarf sometimes referred to as an 'ice dwarf.' Quality 14.

A close K-M binary, Shei is home to an old Ares penal colony.

Shei 1: A Cthonian world. Quality 15.

Shei 2: An airless world. Quality 12.

Sheol (Shei 3): A boreal world, with a large, decaying ring, the planet features two large continents. The population of the consists of a large prisoner population on the larger of the two continents and a small Ares training base on the smaller. Records show that the prison consists of several million persons convicted to "high risk labour" and dropped on the continent with automatic resupply via Ares contractors and watched from orbit by weapons satellites. Most of the planet's land area is covered in a native tree analogue with a strange multi-stranded trunk.

Sheol is actually home to a population of over 100 million made up of prisoners and their descendants taht Ares was usuing as a live fire training course. Cooperation between Radiant agents, Ares mutineers, and the Sheolites themselves have seen the planet freed.

Gravity .95 Earth Standard. Quality 12.

Watchman (Shei 3a): Once the outer of two moons, this body now boasts Ares' local light shipyards and system command center. Quality 13.

Shei 4: Spiraling in from the outer system, this planet will eventually evaporate near-entirely as it closes towards the dual suns of Shei. Quality 3.

Shei 5: Martian planet with an active methane cycle. Quality 5.

Shei I: Asteroid belt.

Shei 6: Jovian planet with high rotation rate. Slightly squashed as a result. Quality 8.

Shei 6a: An icy capture, this moon will be torn into a ring sometime in the next hundred thousand years. Quality 2.

Shei 6b: Cold Martian planet, covered in a thin layer of water and carbon dioxide ices. Active methane cycle. Quality 8.

Shei II: Asteroid belt.

Shei 7: Jovian planet. Quality 13.

Shei 7a: An icy moon with significant cryovolcanism. Quality 6.

Shei 7b: A tiny icy moon, this is on the edge of hydrostatic equilibrium. Quality 2.

Shei 8: Ice giant. Quality 6.

Shei 8a: An icy moon. Quality 9.

Shei 8b: An icy moon, orbiting in an unusual polar orbit. Quality 9.

Population: 103,000,000

While lacking any currently-habitable planets, Five Lions' large size and potential have made it a significant point of Rhodes' recent extraction efforts. Ambitious terraforming efforts have recently begun.

Carajas (Five Lions 1): A Cthonian ball of iron, it's actively mined by robotic Rhodes-built landers. Gravity 2.3 Earth Standard. Quality 12.

Five Lions 2: A small rocky ball. Quality 3.

Five Lions 3: A rocky ball. Quality 7.

Grasberg (Five Lions 4): A large rocky world, glaciation has rendered it uninhabitable for now, but terraforming efforts have begun to artificially ramp up the greenhouse effect and restore liquid water to the surface, along with mining its ice. Gravity 1.11 Earth Standard. Quality 14.

Five Lions 5: This planet's atmosphere is so significant it verges on a gas dwarf. While a solid surface covered in a thin layer of ice is at the bottom, no reasonable colonization is possible. Quality 7.

Five Lions I: This asteroid belt, along with all the others, is being mined heavily.

Five Lions 6: This Jovian planet forms the center of current Rhodes extraction efforts. Quality 4.

Five Lions 6a: This Martian planet boasts significant ice caps and active plate tectonics, though only a vestigial atmosphere. Debate on whether to put resources into terraforming it are ongoing. Gravity .81 Earth Standard. Quality 17.

Oyu Tolgoi (Five Lions 6b): Home to the local population in covered shelters, this Martian planet, while nearly completely lacking water or plate tectonics, has its own atmosphere. Comet bombardment away from populated areas is ongoing and is already beginning to show results. Gravity .79 Earth Standard. Quality 11.

Five Lions II: An asteroid belt.

Five Lions 7: An unremarkable Jovian. Quality 2.

Five Lions III: An asteroid belt.

Five Lions 8: Jovian planet, its rotation speed has resulted in an unusually calm upper atmosphere. Quality 15.

Five Lions IV: An asteroid belt.

Five Lions 9: Jovian planet. Quality 9.

Five Lions V: An asteroid belt.

Five Lions 10: Neptunian ice giant. Quality 8.

Five Lions 10a: A small icy moon. Quality 5.

Five Lions 10b: A large icy body, this was probably its own planetoid at some point before being captured due to the complex interplays of no less than 5 gas giants.

Population: 15,000,000

A rare system with a brown dwarf orbiting a G-type star (just barely in the limits of what's considered a single system rather than a binary), and with a Jovian planet orbiting that, and on top of that treasure trove a dual ice giant binary, Osliam presents a golden research opportunity, and was bid on by Omoikane despite its otherwise sparce resources and poor habitable prospects.

Osliam 1: A rare hot ice giant, this planet is actively shrinking on a measurable time scale. It must have migrated in as a much larger planet recently.

Osliam 1a: This once-rock-ice moon is now a tiny molten ellipse barely holding together.

Osliam 1b: This somewhat larger moon changes color unusually with its day, as the shade of its parent cools lava to a dull red before emerging back into the light heats the lava back to a healthy orange glow.

Osliam 1c: This entire moon glows dull red in its day, just barely solid, and cools to an unusually smooth moon in its night.

Osliam I: This asteroid belt was probably a planet before Osliam 1's passing tore it to shreds.

Osliam 3: A hothouse planet with a relatively thin atmosphere, it retains temperatures and pressures that are survivable with heavy-duty equipment on the surface—when it's not raining sulfuric acid, that is.

Osliam 4: This small Martian planet seems to have collected some of Osliam 1's offgassing in its move inwards, and has a renewed temporary atmosphere.

Osliam 5a: This planet seems to have survived at the edge of the frost line by siphoning gas off its smaller twin.

Osliam 5b: Barely a gas giant, this planet was probably only slightly smaller than Osliam 5a in the distant past.

Osliam 6: The focus of Omoikane colonization in-system, Osliam 6 retains plate tectonics from the nearby brown dwarf but no atmosphere, an odd combination.

Osliam 7: A brown dwarf, this substellar object long ago burnt its deuterium and now lies slowly cooling, glowing dimly red. It is, however, still giving off a prodigious amount of low IR radiation.

Osliam 7a: Once its own planet, Osliam 7a was captured at some point by Osliam 7, perhaps in the same interaction that threw Osliam 1 to its suicidal innermost orbit.

Osliam 7a1: This icy moon is simultaneously shrinking and becoming more habitable—while its outer layers of ice are sublimating, the fierce tides of its complex interplay with Osliam 7 and 7a are heating the inner ocean to temperatures comparable to terrestrial water sources. Some scientists even suggest a pocket of water vapor is forming under the ice, and may form an internal "sky" for as much as a hundred million years before the outer shell sublimates entirely.

Osliam 7a2: This moon is less lucky; its tides are so strong that they seem to slowly be ripping the moon apart. It won't have the honor of becoming more than an ephemeral ring; the same complex tides tearing at it will rapidly disperse its debris field. While it lasts, though, it's easy water harvesting.

Population: 650,000

UNDER CHARTER CONTROL:

A distant double G binary, Xotreh hosts a small habitable moon around Xotreh B, the smaller of the two stars. As such, development has focused on the second star, despite the fact that the jump points center closer to Xotreh A.

Xotreh A1: This world boasts an active liquid silicate cycle on its surface, with oceans of basalt and continents of granite. Gravity 0.38 Earth Standard. Quality 8.

Xotreh A2: A rather large airless world, its original atmosphere was likely blown off by a massive impact. Gravity 1.2 Earth Standard. Quality 9.

Xotreh A3: A binary planetary pair of airless worlds about the size of Mars. Quality 6 and 8.

Xotreh A4: A hothouse planet with a planet-wide sulfuric acid storm due to its rapid rotation. Gravity .71 Earth Standard. Quality 8.

Xotreh A5 "Cueball": This planet is remarkably similar to Earth—if earth was buried under a kilometers-thick ice sheet across 90% of the surface. One day, as Xotreh A expands and dies, this world will become an ocean planet, but for now it's a cold desert. Gravity .87 Earth Standard. Quality 5.

Xotreh A6: An unremarkable icy ball. Quality 4.

Xotreh AI: An asteroid belt.

Xotreh A7: A Jovian planet, Xotreh 7 corrals the entire inner system in line. Quality 10.

Xotreh B1: This planet must have once been a gas giant at least the size of Uranus before it was sent inwards. Now all that remains is a dense core with a molten surface. Gravity 1.51 Earth Standard. Quality 13.

Xotreh B2: A binary pair of earth-sized airless worlds. Quality 6 and 7.

Xotreh B3: Another once-gas giant, this planet remains far out enough to boast a wholly-solid surface of iron. Gravity 1.64 Earth Standard. Quality 14.

Xotreh B4: A Jovian right on the frost line, its tidal heating keeps its moons on the edge of habitability. Quality 3.

Xotreh B4a "Sushi": An ocean world with massive polar ice caps, Omoikane has constructed a series of seasteads on the equatorial high ocean plateaus where it was feasible to drive foundations into the sea floor a few hundred meters below the surface. These small facilities serve as housing, data storage, and production centers for the research teams studying the dual Cthonian planets of Xotreh B. Gravity .67 Earth Standard. Quality 2.

Xotreh B4b: The lesser tidal heating here worsened the glaciation, and the planet lies under a planet-wide crust of ice. Gravity 1.13 Earth Standard. Quality 10.

Xotreh BI: The close proximity of this asteroid belt makes it an ideal location for resource extraction.

Xotreh 5: This Jovian is definitively beyond the habitable zone. Quality 6.

Xotreh 6: A dense ice giant. Quality 4.

Xotreh 7: Jovian planet. Quality 6.

Xotreh 8: An exceptionally cold Jovian. Quality 9.

Xotreh 8a: An unremarkable icy sphere. Quality 8.

Xotreh 9: This planet would have a massive atmosphere, if it wasn't so cold it all froze and fell to the surface. Only a few degrees above the space surrounding it. Gravity 1.3 Earth Standard. Quality 9.

Population: 54,000

Besides an interesting Jovian-gas dwarf planetary system, Bestreer holds little of interest other than its connections to other places.

Bestreer 1: An airless world. Quality 2.

Bestreer 2: An airless world. Quality 6.

Bestreer 3: This airless world once had a captured moon, torn apart at the Roche limit and forming a ring. A small gate maintenance and SAR team bases here, siphoning fuel and water from Bestreer 5 and mining into the surface for both resources and safe spaces for housing. Quality 10.

Bestreer 4: A rock-ice world. Quality 5.

Bestreer 5: Another rock-ice world made up more of ice than rock. Quality 5.

Bestreer I: An icy asteroid belt.

Bestreer 6: A large Jovian planet, on the edge of becoming a brown dwarf. Quality 15.

Bestreer 6a: This gas dwarf might have become a gas giant in its own right without its massive sibling. Quality 5.

Bestreer 7: Another Jovian. Quality 14.

Bestreer 7a: An icy moon, with an internal ocean buried under kilometers of ice. Quality 12.

Bestreer 8: An icy ball. Quality 10.

Population: 450

G-class star. A transshipping point to Radiant and environs, Mississippi keeps a substantial support crew on hand for possible cargo ship breakdowns or emergencies in-system, due to the slightly increased risk of issues from the absolute shambles of Akleod's inner system. A minor executive has also put together a cheap refueling and battery exchange station.

Akleod 1: Even actively evaporating and leaving behind a trail in orbit of dissipating volatiles, this body is large enough to have usurped Akleod 1a's orbit temporarily until it disappears away or the chaotic orbit of the two throws one into the star or out of the system. Quality 2.

Akleod 1a: The original Akleod 1, its orbit has been badly disrupted by the current, migrating Akleod 1. Which of the two gets ejected is still uncertain despite a decent amount of computational simulation; odds put it at 48-52% relatively. Quality 6.

Gnat's Ass (Akleod 2): A small, loosely-held-together icy body, perhaps what used to be an asteroid belt before Akleod 1's suicidal inner-system dive. It's not yet had time to fully reach hydrostatic equilibrium. Quality 3.

Akleod 3: An icy planet similar to Akleod 1, perhaps an old sibling. Quality 13.

Akleod I: An asteroid belt.

Akleod 4: A Jovian with an unusually elliptical orbit, it's regarded as the culprit for the chaos of Akleod's inner system. Quality 11.

Population: 5,000

As it turns out, transponder codes from regular priority messages through Gaid (now that we can see them, having backdoored the gate control) bear tags from a system, Thoa, along with navigational chart updates for any ships that happen to stop by. Thoa and Gaid both seem to have been nothing more than transit points to the far-more-valuable Radiant for Hermes-Ishtar, but Thoa holds a small anti-pirate base guarding against raiders from Signia. Hermes-Ishtar was apparently serious enough about it to have a converted corvette on station.

All told, the Thoa system holds gates to 2 systems besides Gaid's. There's also an unimproved jump point simply labelled as "dangerous." that leads to Signia

Thoa System Stats:

Thoa 1: A molten mess of a planet, it's hot enough that a residual atmosphere of vaporized low-melting-point metallics exists.

Thoa 2: An unremarkable airless metal ball.

Thoa 3: A super-earth hothouse, this planet would have been uninhabitable due to its gravity even before turning scorchingly hot.

Thoa 3a: A captured asteroid barely on the edge of hydrostatic equilibrium, the Nasty Bastardhad been excavating rudimentary shelters for "leave" for its crew.

Thoa I: An asteroid belt.

Thoa 4: A normal Jovian planet.

Thoa 4a: A moon much like Mars in climate.

Thoa 5: A Jovian planet with an unusual triangular wind pattern at the poles.

Thoa 6: Blooms of hydrogen well up from the core of this Jovian, perhaps disturbed by some recent impact.

Thoa 7: Bathyscapes would find themselves at home on the surface of Thoa 7. Pressures much like that at Earth's seabed keep a crust of ice 3 stable enough robotic drones could walk on it.

Thoa 7a: Unusually, Thoa 7a is the only large icy body in the system. Scientists are unsure of where the others went. As the only easy source of volatiles, the UNasty Bastard periodically stopped by a handful of obsolete volatile collection systems on the surface to top up.

Thoa II: A Kuiper belt of icy objects.

Empty Systems

Kimberly: A fairly unremarkable and empty system, this site was chosen as Rhodes' spinward boneyard—a place for failed experiments, old equipment, and ships so worn they weren't worth maintaining anymore, but were still valuable enough to warrant not throwing into a gas giant or otherwise completely destroyed. For 2 decades a Rhodes-affiliated salvaging contractor worked here, gathering scrap and other valuables, but following high injury and death rates and low returns, the contract (and most non-local dumping) was cancelled in 2247 (4 years before the March Days.)

Kimberly 1: A large rocky planet, this must have migrated inwards from further out in the system a long time ago to be so large so close to its parent star.

Kimberly 2: A Martian planet that keeps a comfortable daytime temperature despite its lack of atmosphere due to a close orbit.

Kimberly 3: A Jovian world.

Kimberly I: This asteroid belt is actually combined with a thinly-spread junkyard corralled by Kimberly's 2 gas giants.

Kimberly 4: A Neptunian world, this planet has several starship hulks abandoned as the closest stable orbit to the gate out. An old deactivation hub orbits in resonance with Kimberly 4a, the former site of a salvaging operation.

Kimberly 4a: The only significant satellite in the system, this icy moon retains a thin crust and a massive subterranean freshwater ocean.

Total:

Radiant:

Gaid:

Five Lions:

Head of Diplomatic Corps:

Name: Amanda Redcrest, Victoria Blackwell, and Kayla Hayashi

DoB: "2222", 2219, 2227, 2224

Current Position: Influential media figure and figurehead of Social Committee propaganda

Not a traditional diplomat, or a traditional individual 'Veronica Stardust' is the persona of a trio of XP broadcasters who have been working together since 2246 and has consistently been one of the most recognized figures across Charter space and is a local Elysian celebrity.

In Charter space those individuals who choose to make money by recording their lived experiences, of all kinds, for later playback are treated with an indulgent disdain by the polite classes as a mix of internet celebrity and sex worker despite the practice of selling XP experiences being common in the poorer segments of society and a smaller portion of the professional middle class attempting to stay afloat in a tight gig economy.

Amanda Redcrest was a former media programmer whose attempts to supplement her income with XP work backfired and saw her fired from her job. Contrarily, Kayla and Victoria both come from lower class backgrounds, though Kayla's attempts to climb into the middle class by earning a marketing degree were frustrated when her lower class status markers and financing of education via XP work saw her frozen out of the job market.

A former collaborator of Kayla's, Victoria had been a rising XP star in her own right and had no desire to change her station, but as her brief celebrity began to fade Victoria approached Kayla to propose the creation of a dedicated broadcasting persona that both would act as. Later bringing on Redcrest, who they'd both done crossover XP work with, to do technical work, the trio used carefully gathered market data and some intuition to create the "Veronica Stardust" persona of an middlingly-intelligent and freewheeling persona who played to the upper class's picture of what depravities and indignities the poorer class must get up to in their spare time.

From 2246 to 2251 the Veronica Stardust persona (performed by all three at various times, though primarily Victoria) produced experience recordings that were nearly always in the top 10 best sellers across Charter space.

Though they enjoyed the wealth that they brought in, the trio increasingly chafed at the market driven limitations of Veronica, and were considering a number of possibly catastrophic brand shifts when the March Days broke out and all three participated in street actions in a private capacity after sending one last broadcast as 'Veronica' to encourage revolt.

Since the formation of the Social Committee the figure of Veronica has been rebranded to serve as the figurehead of Social Committee Propaganda and several major initiatives have been launched with her at the forefront including a highly successful part of the anti-overproduction initiatives.

As part of the now-completed campaign to maintain the charade that Radiant was still under Charter control, Veronica Stardust continued to sell broadcasts to HI media chains, though the trio could not help but begin a brand shift towards a far more intelligent and radical persona.

Pros: XP Celebrity, influential, well known, inspiring to the middle and lower classes

Cons: XP celebrity, little diplomatic experience, three people

Diplomatic Goals: Defeat the Charters in the field of public opinion, push social revolution and freedom of information and communication, cause public opinion to oppose attacking Radiant

Unlocked FRM

Ares Peacekeeping Grade - Access to planetary army formation

Ares Military Grade - Access to mid-sized shipyards, bonuses to planetary army combat. Bonus to completion of Chinook remodeling

Rhodes Light industrial Grade - 10% increase to all mining income, reduced Cost for BLG and other actions that use basic fabber processes

Rhodes Heavy Industrial Grade - Massive discount on mining upgrades, able to unlock automated technologies with Omoikaine

Cernunnos Consumer Grade - +1 to all Soccom actions

Cernunnos Enterprise Grade - NOT UNLOCKED

Omoikane Consumer Grade - +1 to FRM reserach for each two tech bases unlocked (+6 currently)

Omoikane Enterprise Grade - +5 to blue sky research, automation with Omoikane

Hermes-Ishtar Consumer Grade - Your economy doesn't crash when the turn of funding

Hermes-Ishtar Production Grade - NOT UNLOCKED

MSI Consumer Grade - Consumer Goods, Drones, and personal vehicles, +2 to domestic projects in IndComm and SocComm

MSI Enterprise Grade - NOT UNLOCKED

Original Tech

The Box: Fabber the size of a X-box that can, with time, materials and power, print the components for a full sized box. Less efficient, but easy to print and hide.

Defence Coordinator:

Name: Maria Awhina

DoB: 2165

Current Position: Military Committee Delegate from the Radiant Veterans Guild

Born into poverty on Earth as the twenty-second century began to wane, young 22-year old Maria Awhina caught up in radical anti-Charter politics during the third black summer of 2187 and was convicted of property destruction during the rioting and sentenced to serve as a contractor to Hermes-Ishtar until her contract was paid off.

The stark choice of starvation or service to Hermes-Ishtar caused Maria to descend into self-destructive behavior where for twenty years Ms. Awhina continuously volunteered for the highest paid and most dangerous positions that Hermes-Ishtar had available.

Hermes-Ishtar considers Special Operations Lieutenant Awhina to have served with distinction throughout the heavy skirmishing of that era, though Maria herself continues to carry guilt for her service and her survival.

After performing exceptionally well in a hostage rescue operation Awhina was transferred to the Protective Detail Division of Hermes-Ishtar Security, and was eventually assigned to serve as the head of the Radiant Vice President's protective detail.

Over the next four decades she came to see the world as her home, and while her professionalism never wavered, her loyalty to the company who still owned her contract did.

This March, Maria had the option to gun down her fellow planetary headquarters workers to secure Yang's escape, or to finally return to roots in anti-Charter agitation. The fact that we are all here today shows what choice she made.

Pros:

-Actual Combat Veteran, knows Radiant inside and out, special operations expert, professional.

Cons:

-only academic knowledge of starship operations, logistics, organization command and strategic operations.

Command Traits:

-Objective oriented, unflappable, aggressive, prefers attacks and operations to come from unexpected angles.

Reports from the Permanent Commission for Military Intelligence on hostile forces in neighbouring systems:

Blue Squadron:
-Allegiance: Ares Combat Solutions
-Service: Mars Interstellar Security
-CO: Rear Admiral Weylon Kang
-Flagship: MIS Yorktown

We know little about Rear Admiral Weylon Kang except that he has received a number of commendations from the MIS board for keeping costs low while on deployment. He appears to be making an effort to clamp down on the rumours racing back and forth across the fleet.

MIS Yorktown
-British Empire-class Fleet Tender
MIS Eurymedon
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS La Rochelle
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Cape Rachado
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Second Schooneveld
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Matapan
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Valcour Island
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Kerch Strait
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Galveston Harbour
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Cape Sarych
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS River Plate
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Third San Francisco
-New Model-class Strike Corvette
MIS Scipio Africanus
-Cossak-class Frigate
MIS Suleiman I
-Cossak-class Frigate
MIS Louis Botha
-Cossak-class Frigate
MIS Fort Ware
-Hudson's bay Company-class Fast Fleet Tanker
MIS Fort Mackinac
-Hudson's bay Company-class Fast Fleet Tanker
MIS Fort Osage
-Hudson's bay Company-class Fast Fleet Tanker
MIS Arabian
-Postal-class Courier
MIS Macedonia
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport
MIS Hispania Citerior
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport
MIS Hispania Ulterior
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport
MIS Gallia Narbonensis
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport
MIS Sicilia
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport
MIS Corsica et Sardinia
-Legionary-class Fast Troop Transport

Fixed Defences:
Battery A
-MSS-54-F LMP Constellation
Battery B
-MSS-54-F LMP Constellation
Battery C
-MSS-54-F LMP Constellation
Shoal A
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal
Shoal B
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal
Shoal C
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal
Shoal D
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal
Shoal E
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal
Shoal F
-ASR-33-C TAM Shoal

Fixed Defences:
Battery A
-Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation
Battery B
-Airstrike Pattern LMP Constellation
Shoal A
-Macross-Pattern LMP Constellation
Shoal B
-Macross-Pattern LMP Constellation
Strikecraft Wing, ID# 48603
-Radiance-Type Strikecraft

-None

Local Security Forces
-Approximately fifty strong volunteer station security militia drawn from station personnel

Local Security Forces:
-Deep Space Security Solutions (Omoikane Subsidiary) Customs shuttle squadron based out of Xotreh B-4a's orbital station
-Three companies of Standard Planetary Security Company (Ares subsidiary) troops based out of Xotreh B-4a's habitat complexes for internal security and law enforcement

139th Solarian Navy Squadron:
-Allegiance: Solarian Compact
-Service: Solarian Navy
-CO: Vice Admiral David Visser
-Flagship: SNS Krak de Chevaliers

Thanks to his heavy handed labour discipline and extractive tribute and demands for corvee labour from Ascension Admiral Visser is viscerally hated by the populace of Ascension, and to a lesser degree the rest of the Solarian Force as well. While the gate's completion draws near, it is uncertain what path that Visser will persue.

SNS Krak de Chevaliers
-Star-hold-Class light-tender
SNS Victoria Newman
-Leonard Greyson-Chang-Class Strike Corvette
SNS Julia Stonechild
-Leonard Greyson-Chang-Class Strike Corvette
SNS Robert Chuikov
-Leonard Greyson-Chang-Class Strike Corvette
SNS Wallace Al-Wazir
-Leonard Greyson-Chang-Class Strike Corvette
SNS Dawn's Early Light
-Freedom's Light-class cruiser
SNS Jacob Nagumo
-Herald Kanumba-Class frigate
SNS Alexander Hamilton
-Liberation-class troop transport

Solarian Marines now spread throughout the system

PCMI Provides new system data on the single system that lies beyond beyond Five Lions:

Mobile Force:

Current Orders: Defend the All Radiant Congress by acting as a rapid response in the event of any hostile acts.

CO: Commodore Stephanie Rousseau

CNS Velasco, United States of America-class Fleet Carrier

-CO: Captain Esteri Attar

-Orca Wing, Switchblade-type strikecraft (Customized)

-CO: Wing Commander Jasmine Ang

-Red Wolf Wing, Switchblade-type strikecraft (Customized)

-CO: Wing Commander Heloisa Kimura de Lima

CNS Shieldmaiden, Great Heathen-class Light Cruiser

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Shamhat, Great Heathen-class Light Cruiser

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Righteous Tempest, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: Captain Vehement Shade

CNS August Willich, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Elysium, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Asphodel, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

-

Home Force:

Current Orders: Defend Radiant, comet patrol, act as a reserve force

CO: Commodore Erina Kozlova

CNS Blaire Mountain, New Model-Class Strike Corvette

-CO: Captain Guillermo Kageyama

CNS Scutum, Comet-Class Patrol Corvette

-CO: Captain Martin Pagonis

CNS Buckler, Comet-Class Patrol Corvette

-CO: Captain Samuel Smiles

CNS Nasty Bastard, A Jury Rigged Mess of a Drone Carrier

-CO: Captain Jean-Paul Beaumont

-

Radiant System Self Defence Force:

Current Orders: Defend Radiant, comet patrol

CO: Overseen by Admiral Gregory Mansur in his capacity as MilComm Chief of Naval Operations

Radiant Customs Squadron, Arabia-class boarding craft with marine contingents

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

Switchblade Wing, Switchblade-type strikecraft

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

Apogee Wing, Switchblade-type strikecraft

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

Battery A, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Battery B, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Battery C, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Battery D, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Battery E, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Battery F, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Shoal A, Macross-Pattern TAM Shoal

(Radiant-Bestreer Gate)

Radiant Orbital Yard 1

Current construction: None

Radiant Orbital Yard 1

Current construction: None

-

Gaid System Self Defence Force:

Current Orders: Defend Gaid

CO: Commodore Victor Raine

Battery A, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

Battery B, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

Battery C, Blindfire-Pattern LMP Constellation

Battery D, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

Battery E, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

Battery F, Airstrike-Pattern LMP Constellation

Shoal A, Macross-Pattern TAM Shoal

Shoal A, Macross-Pattern TAM Shoal

Shoal A, Macross-Pattern TAM Shoal

Zephyr Wing, Switchblade-Type Strikecraft (Customized)

-CO: Wing Commander Ara Helge

Aeolus Wing, Switchblade-Type Strikecraft (Customized)

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

Gale Wing, Switchblade-Type Strikecraft (Customized)

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

-

Frontier Force

Current Orders: Keep watch on SolNav force in Raphanus, assist with integration of Ascension military forces, patrol Spinward frontier

CO: Commodore Shayla McLean

CNS Kiel Mutiny, Kaiserreich-class BattleCruiser

-CO: Captain Inana Devlin

CNS Choreographer, Janissary-class Light Tender

-CO: Captain Karl Xanthopoulos

CNS Valiant, New Model-class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Defiant, New Model-class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: Captain Fool's Errand

CNS Reliant, New Model-class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: Captain Rouge Napier

CNS Actium, New Model-class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: Captain John Rankin

CNS Crête-à-Pierrot, New Model-class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: Captain Nkiru Chaudhari

CNS Valmy, New Model-Class Strike Corvette, attached to CNS Choreographer

-CO: Captain Sumac Barros

CNS Revolutionary Will, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: Captain Yamamoto Hanae

CNS Revolutionary Grace, Cossak-class Frigate

-CO: -N/A DATABASE ERROR, CONTACT IT FOR HELP-

CNS Under New Management, Don-Class Fast Tanker

-CO: Captain Adras Kierenos

CNS Liberte, Hollywood(C)-Class Frigate

-CO: Captain Colin McRae

CNS Egalite, Hollywood(C)-Class Frigate

-CO: Captain Adelia Swift

Resources
Naval Ship Types: Ship Types (Public Version)
Naval Officers: Congressional Navy Officers (Public Version)
System Codex: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rtNbPCcPsTK7HCHKo9dPgK7ntx5tBKOpltrZb_In7GY/edit#
Blaze Zhang: Blaze Zhang is trans-masc. That means his pronouns are he/him.

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Sara · Sep 23, 2021

BlueTwinkleToes said:
Depends, would they still allow the sharing of FRM if we do our broadcast? Cause they if they still don't want a first strike, they might deny to avoid implicating themselves. Or would a mere alliance be deniable enough even when we 'first strike' the broadcast?

clockworkchaos said:
[ ] Accept peaceful coexistence. Ascension will continue its current deception, the Omoikane Corporate Board. They will allow inspections from ARC to ensure that their elections are democratic, though they do reserve the right to keep military secrets. They are, however, very interested in trade. (Hidden alliance, unlock option to trade resources for Ascension tech, this option will not cost dice to use)

They'll apparently be continuing their current deception in that case, so I would imagine any alliance would be secret for obvious reasons and we could just say we unlocked the FRM they gave us ourselves like all the other ones.

Model DC.14F · Sep 23, 2021

So, decided to reread the update and note bits that stood out to me.

In such a case, we are currently in need of resources, as Ascension was a research center, its limited factories were primarily for creating computer parts, and supporting research projects, not the raw resources and production needed to mass building projects.

Maybe we can use an IndComm die to start Mining in Ascension? Otherwise, would trading resources be IndComm or SocComm?

"You are correct that Sakura is not a VI, and is instead a full fledged AGI, as well as our third delegate representing the considerable AI populace which is now liberated.

This is a very good thing, both from a moral and PR viewpoint, as it implies that Ascension has a wealth of evidence regarding the NH-MAVI, giving us considerable ammo against Omoikane.

Project Results: Gain a space station in Gaid which provides a permanent +2 to all projects and events in that system as well as a military base and the beginnings of permanent settlement. Permanent +3E upkeep.

Well, Gaid has been locked down even more. With a little more work, I can see it becoming one of our major systems. Maybe we can eventually build a Naval Base there, and made a it a stronghold.

Already our workers and naval architects are noting areas where improvements could be made to the design and construction schematics. But as we're still new to the whole military shipbuilding thing, MilComm has decided to wait until the completion of this order of craft until beginning a project to produce a flight of Great Heathens modified to our own specifications.

Well, this is interesting. Guess we figured out how we can create new ship classes. Hopefully it applies to craft size and not just role, otherwise it will take a long time to create a fleet that doesn't suffer from corporate-mandated design flaws.

The box is snazzy looking as fuck

Nice

.

Rhodes' courses beyond basic elementary school topics like literacy or essential mathematics are so bloated and dependent on rote memorization of approved techniques and systems they're totally useless to us. We've had to rebuild what's essentially an entire high school to technical school and undergraduate education system using Radiant-native programs adapted to Five Lions' unique situation.

...Seriously? Not only did Rhodes create a Caste System based on training and certifications, but their training is so bad that all their workers are uneducated regardless of Caste? I'm not sure whether it would be worse if this was intentional or just a result of cutting corners.

Travler66 · Sep 23, 2021

I didn't get an alert for this update for some reason, regardless, this is a nice update.

BaseDeltaZero · Sep 23, 2021

clockworkchaos said:
"We, unfortunately, only have limited broadcasts. We know they were making demands of the Charters. Whether this was an active revolution, or a strike, just union organizing, or even some sort of bluff is something we still don't know. What does matter is that the Solarian Navy commander, Vice-Admiral David Visser, considered this to be a threat to the gate construction, and so the Solarian Navy intervened. Brutally. They arrested everyone they felt was blocking gate construction and conducted military executions of the ringleaders." She pauses again, watching as Hunter's face becomes grim and McLean's eyes narrow fractionally.

"Afterwards my job became a lot more difficult, and a lot more necessary. What had once been a useful case of arrogance and disinterest, especially by Admiral Visser, became far more active and focused. As such, the Omoikane Corporate Board was 'established', and any hint that we were anything other than a power-grab by mid-level management had to disappear. Thankfully, faking records showing previous mid-level management experience was not difficult. We had a few fake trials and executions and…" Kelly pauses, looking down.

clockworkchaos said:
anonymizing the origin point of the broadcast

Okay, that's... very interesting. If we can make the broadcast secret, that's... potentially a very useful option.

... or potentially create a false origin, for instance we could do a diplomatic 'Showcase Us/Charter Atrocities', and then release the FRM cracks in the guise of a Earth/Daughters based anarchist group or something like that. This will likely get innocent people killed in a crackdown if it works, but... well, that just makes trouble in the core worlds more likely.
I suppose we could also release the comms crack itself, which might be... fun.

TheArcanist said:
"Hey, wanna join us? We're about to be invaded!" is not a sterling pitch for an alliance

If a fleet comes knock us down, I doubt Ascension's charade will last long.

Cyanblackstone said:
In other words, you'd best make sure your broadcast doesn't have any gate parts or devices that could be used to circumvent the anti-engineering protections on gates.

Well, we don't have access to any gate parts and... while we haven't actually researched the wormholes yet, they bypass the gates but not the protections on them. That said, Advanced Omoikane (which Ascension almost certainly has) includes FRM cracking which could be likely be used to circumvent the FRM on the gates, of course.

Offhand, I wonder what the cost of that cracking project/building a gate is, anyways. I expect it to be roughly in the same ballpark as terraforming, so... not relevant now.

Elero said:
How many workers have they sent to the other charter colonies down the chain as part of their lottery draft and could they serve as undercover agents?

I believe the colonies spoken of are the ones we just liberated. So they wouldn't serve as undercover agents in a way useful to us, at least.

Model DC.14F said:
This is a very good thing, both from a moral and PR viewpoint, as it implies that Ascension has a wealth of evidence regarding the NH-MAVI, giving us considerable ammo against Omoikane.

It'll mean that a whole bunch of enemy ships are down to be overhauled, at least. But my understanding is most people are low key terrified of AGI. And...
Uh, we are a revolt with a bunch of unshackled AGIs around. They also have 'AI uprising' as on option to tar us with if they want instead of 'anarchist pirates', and... that'll certainly discourage people from using our FRM, I think.

In the meantime, I'd really like some info on that Gate fleet, if anyone knows. Can we take it if we need to, is it a threat only in being an act of war, or what? If the Doomfleet is literally right next to us it'll... significantly alter things, because we can't rely on insurgent friction to slow it down, the turn we release is our last turn.

Also worth noting that it is quite possible integrating Ascension will be a net negative in terms of resources, at least in the near future. That said, they might have a die or two (actually, I strongly suspect a SciComm die, which is... nice?). Their population is decent enough to be of some cost, and from the sounds of things they probably have... like 2 Basic and 1 Energy infrastructure. (I don't know if 'lots of computers and such' is SR or BR. Special is my first guess but then silicon is one of the most basic resources possible.

Sara · Sep 23, 2021

BaseDeltaZero said:
It'll mean that a whole bunch of enemy ships are down to be overhauled, at least. But my understanding is most people are low key terrified of AGI. And...
Uh, we are a revolt with a bunch of unshackled AGIs around. They also have 'AI uprising' as on option to tar us with if they want instead of 'anarchist pirates', and... that'll certainly discourage people from using our FRM, I think.

My understanding is that their terrified of like, singularity style AI, but it's technically illegal to shackle AGI now and 'unshackled' AGI are treated as full citizens and in fact the first Black Summer was caused by the revelation the Compact used them as slaves. To the Earthling on the street, AGI's are just people like anyone else.

BaseDeltaZero · Sep 23, 2021

Sara said:
My understanding is that their terrified of like, singularity style AI, but it's technically illegal to shackle AGI now and 'unshackled' AGI are treated as full citizens and in fact the first Black Summer was caused by the Compact using them as slaves.

The First Black Summer also involved a large bit of 'they'll take our jobs', and the end result was AI being... not shackled, not quite outlawed, but not... accepted, generally? This doesn't stop the Charters from periodically trying their hand at 'singularity style AIs', and... consistently ending horribly. Just resulting in slightly crazier than normal AGI is the good outcome, more commonly ending with 'ASI tries to ~~over throw the compact~~ destroy all humans, is stopped with some damage.' It wouldn't be... terribly difficult, to make the claim that 'Omoikane tried to make an ASI again, and this time it escaped harder and is now using Radiant to do Evil Robot Things.'

The Laurent · Sep 23, 2021

BaseDeltaZero said:
The First Black Summer also involved a large bit of 'they'll take our jobs', and the end result was AI being... not shackled, not quite outlawed, but not... accepted, generally? This doesn't stop the Charters from periodically trying their hand at 'singularity style AIs', and... consistently ending horribly. Just resulting in slightly crazier than normal AGI is the good outcome, more commonly ending with 'ASI tries to ~~over throw the compact~~ destroy all humans, is stopped with some damage.' It wouldn't be... terribly difficult, to make the claim that 'Omoikane tried to make an ASI again, and this time it escaped harder and is now using Radiant to do Evil Robot Things.'

From what I can tell, there are three outcomes.

1) A paperclip maximizer AI that tries to destroy the galaxy in order to make Number Go Up.
2) An AI programmed to actually care about people and analyze the full range of data and so on that promptly tries to overthrow capitalism and the Charter system.

3) An AI programmed to care about some weird third thing that's nonsensical and incomprehensible.

Sara · Sep 23, 2021

BaseDeltaZero said:
The First Black Summer also involved a large bit of 'they'll take our jobs', and the end result was AI being... not shackled, not quite outlawed, but not... accepted, generally? This doesn't stop the Charters from periodically trying their hand at 'singularity style AIs', and... consistently ending horribly. Just resulting in slightly crazier than normal AGI is the good outcome, more commonly ending with 'ASI tries to ~~over throw the compact~~ destroy all humans, is stopped with some damage.' It wouldn't be... terribly difficult, to make the claim that 'Omoikane tried to make an ASI again, and this time it escaped harder and is now using Radiant to do Evil Robot Things.'

I haven't really seen much hysteria in the quest about normal AGI, who have been citizens in some circumstances since the DemFed feel, turning into SKynet. And we know, explicitly, their seen as people that your not supposed to turn them into slaves anymore like with Inanna, and that the sticking point of the first Black Summer was finding out they were sapient beings like what happened here.

And sure, they could make claim, but they could have lied about even if we had no AGI's on our world because they own most of the news, and if their's nothing we can do to counter their propaganda efforts despite that being our main focus we're kind of screwed regardless.

Godwinson · Sep 23, 2021

I have some very OOC reasoning to bring to the table.

First off, in case it's been overlooked or forgotten by anyone reading this, Ascension was one of the other possibilities for the quest to have picked to play as from the outset.

Secondly, each of the starting options had their own way to theoretically win a war against the system as a whole in some form. Radiant has the communications hack, and secret wormhole technology. To directly quote AKuz from discord: Alexander is the "Fistfight the entire compact with the possiblity of winning by occupying the First Colonies option" -- that is, sheer military might right away.

So what does Ascension have to make it capable of winning? Is it 'just' all the FRM hacks, up to the cutting edge for all the Charters? (Hell, even that alone might make it worth having a political fight over when to make the broadcast, because that means The Box gets everything useful.) Have they kept their best advantages secret like how we have?

Sara · Sep 23, 2021

Godwinson said:
So what does Ascension have to make it capable of winning? Is it 'just' all the FRM hacks, up to the cutting edge for all the Charters? (Hell, even that alone might make it worth having a political fight over when to make the broadcast, because that means The Box gets everything useful.) Have they kept their best advantages secret like how we have?

We don't know what they have, but we do know that we're being given the option to trade to Ascension for their Tech in return for our resources without agreeing to a first strike clause.

Cassiemouse · Sep 23, 2021

Godwinson said:
I have some very OOC reasoning to bring to the table.

First off, in case it's been overlooked or forgotten by anyone reading this, Ascension was one of the other possibilities for the quest to have picked to play as from the outset.

Secondly, each of the starting options had their own way to theoretically win a war against the system as a whole in some form. Radiant has the communications hack, and secret wormhole technology. To directly quote AKuz from discord: Alexander is the "Fistfight the entire compact with the possiblity of winning by occupying the First Colonies option" -- that is, sheer military might right away.

So what does Ascension have to make it capable of winning? Is it 'just' all the FRM hacks, up to the cutting edge for all the Charters? (Hell, even that alone might make it worth having a political fight over when to make the broadcast, because that means The Box gets everything useful.) Have they kept their best advantages secret like how we have?

If I had to guess it would be something related to artificial intelligence. Maybe they could secretly make a working seed AI? That would be a real game changer.

BaseDeltaZero · Sep 23, 2021

Godwinson said:
So what does Ascension have to make it capable of winning? Is it 'just' all the FRM hacks, up to the cutting edge for all the Charters? (Hell, even that alone might make it worth having a political fight over when to make the broadcast, because that means The Box gets everything useful.) Have they kept their best advantages secret like how we have?

... and we were given a warning against putting Gate prints in the crack, despite not having them. Maybe... maybe they did get something out of that message from the construction fleet?

The Laurent said:
1) A paperclip maximizer AI that tries to destroy the galaxy in order to make Number Go Up.
2) An AI programmed to actually care about people and analyze the full range of data and so on that promptly tries to overthrow capitalism and the Charter system.
3) An AI programmed to care about some weird third thing that's nonsensical and incomprehensible.

Well, what the databox says is just 'every successful seed AI immediately goes rampant and attempts to overthrow the Charter system', with a note that most of the AGIs being made are the result of attempts that don't... seed.

Amazing Abzan · Sep 23, 2021

BaseDeltaZero said:
Also worth noting that it is quite possible integrating Ascension will be a net negative in terms of resources, at least in the near future. That said, they might have a die or two (actually, I strongly suspect a SciComm die, which is... nice?). Their population is decent enough to be of some cost, and from the sounds of things they probably have... like 2 Basic and 1 Energy infrastructure. (I don't know if 'lots of computers and such' is SR or BR. Special is my first guess but then silicon is one of the most basic resources possible.

It's explicitly stated in the voting options that integrating Ascension will give us an extra SciComm die.

clockworkchaos said:
[ ] Accept joining demands. Accept the demands of Ascension for joining. If done, Ascension will begin joining ARC. Ascension will begin integrating itself, though projects are available to help this, progress will be made automatically each turn as Ascension works to integrate, and there is no need to take actions. (access to Ascension system, Ascension controlled science die that will become player controlled once further in integration. Take on Ascension's obligations to Compact.)

yeastmobile · Sep 23, 2021

Model DC.14F said:
Well, this is interesting. Guess we figured out how we can create new ship classes. Hopefully it applies to craft size and not just role, otherwise it will take a long time to create a fleet that doesn't suffer from corporate-mandated design flaws.

I have a strong suspicion that charter warships are complete crap due to "Market Concerns" and that if we put some effort into it we could make ships on-par with the compact or even better since we aren't trying to cut all the corners.

The Laurent · Sep 23, 2021

#AscensionQuestions

What's their population?

Angelform · Sep 23, 2021

clockworkchaos said:
October 2254, Reports to the All-Radiant Congress

Good results.

Did furry!space!Napoleon really rules lawyer her way into taking a freaking capital warship as her diplomatic transport?

The Chinook continue to be Best.

Regarding Ascension… tricky issue.
I see two fundamental problems with the whole 'no provocation' thing. The first issue is that Sheol is not under ARC authority and absolutely intends to pick a fight as soon as they feel capable of it.
The greater issue however… is that we are currently at war with the majority of Charters. There are six Charters. We presently have a treaty with two of them, covering ownership of Radiant, Shei, Gaid and Thoa. Omoikane is going to want Ascension back. Cernunnos, Rhodes and Mississippi will be wanting their planets, ships etc back. At this very moment any of them could be assembling a fleet to come settle this 'labour dispute'. Our very existence provokes the Charters.

Tatbee · Sep 23, 2021

#AscensionQuestions

How binding would the ...agreement? ...treaty? ...contract? be, for OCB to integrate into ARC?

- Once the integration process has started, can it be paused, stopped, or reversed?

- At what point would the OCB become ARC citizens?

- If ARC maintains all 3 OCB guarantees, to the letter, would the OCB have any "legal" recourse to back out?

("to the letter", i.e. we can't provoke the Compact, but the Charters are fair game; ARC goes ahead with an anti-Charter HI-hack broadcast, inciting revolution)

Ultrackius · Sep 23, 2021

I would like to point out that the compact and the charters are different entities, at least legally speaking, and attacking the latter does would not break the treaty

Alex the Average · Sep 23, 2021

#AscensionQuestions

What information can they provide us about the worlds that they are currently supplying workers to?

yeastmobile · Sep 23, 2021

Ultrackius said:
I would like to point out that the compact and the charters are different entities, at least legally speaking, and attacking the latter does would not break the treaty

We do not know that OCB thinks that for certain, especially not something as indiscriminate as the comms hack. Though I do hope they see it that way.

CyberFemme · Sep 23, 2021

My thoughts on the matter of Ascension in point form, anyone feel free to use these when crafting their own write-ins:

Firstly, there are some items that we don't even consider worth negotiating over - citizenship and reproductive right for instance are guaranteed.
Secondly, assuming our observers give us the all clear we should offer them all the FRM we've cracked - load up a freighter with data storage if need be to do it. Radiant believes pretty strongly in Information Wants to be Free, and we want Ascension to succeed. Giving them our unlocked FRM - including all the ones we've not yet cracked (in case they didn't get a chance to stockpile as many as we did before we were fond out) and the Hermes Advanced FRMs that were not available to other Charters. This costs us nothing and shows them that we're going to walk the walk when it comes to our principles. It might also help start to shake them out of a lingering sense of Capitalist Realism, because for all our flaws Radiant's Social Revolution does seem to be a bit further ahead of most others we've run into (from age if nothing else).
We also agree not to extract any Ascension citizens without their vote, but would like to encourage some form of restitution for the relatively minor piracy conducted thus far.
Resource trades are also on the table, but will have to be done on a case by case basis. We have a slight surplus that we can use to help them get off the ground, but details will have to be hashed out to reach the most mutually beneficial exchange. While we're willing to share any of our own technology without charge, and we hope they'd reciprocate, we hope the trade in physical goods will grant us access to their expertise (gain some sort of bonus to our own research?).
If they agree to share the results with us and not to share the technology with our enemies, send over our research on Personal Wormholes and Comm Wormholes. This should pique their scientific curiosity.
Given that they have a representative democracy, see if a representative committee that can be briefed on sensitive matters can be sworn to secrecy for a period of one year or until the issue becomes moot - whichever is shorter. If they agree, put on our best How to Make Friends and Influence People hats and read them into the Broadcast plan.
1. Share cleodynamic forecasts of how the Compact and Charters are likely to react to the existence of an entity that undermines their foundations by simply existing. (This is the sort of Market Research and Forecasting that is literally Radiant's bread-and butter pre-revolution).
2. Share our internal propaganda wargames we conducted as part of the Counter-Media program to give them an idea of what the consent manufacturing will be like.
3. Show them what happened in Sheol and Gentle Repose pointing out the systemic issues that mean that these situations are almost certainly not unique.
4. Show projected differences in economic throughput of our economies vs the Compacts.
5. Then show how we intend to target the weaknesses of the Charters and their Compact with the Broadcast and it's likelihood of success based on how easily other worlds we've contacted have flipped to our side.
6. Impart on them that if we can't stand together, the Charters will hang us apart while the Compact helps them put the rope around our necks. If we convince them, we can integrate. If not, we can pursue Hidden Alliance.

I also want to point out that our CROWS specialize in infiltration, and the workers Ascension has to send to the Compact Fleet provide a convenient vector for inserting spies and saboteurs.

clockworkchaos · Sep 23, 2021

Jreengus said:
#AscensionQuestions - What information do we have on the size and composition of the compact fleet and what does Milcomm think about our chances against it? Does this change with the completion of the new ships we've laid down?

The Laurent said:
How big is the Compact fleet?

(19+5 (Diplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =29)

Our hosts have been surprisingly up-front about the composition of the Compact fleet, they have used the tributes and workers to good use.

The fleet is led by one "Vice Admiral David Visser" and despite such an exalted rank,the fleet's largest ship consists of a single cruiser. As of right now their fleet consists of

1x "Freedom's Light" class cruiser
1x "Herald Kanumba" Class frigates
1x "Star-hold" Class light-tender
4x "Leonard Greyson-Chang" Class Strike Corvette
1x "Liberation" class troop transport, with Solarian Marines now spread throughout the system

In addition they have built extensive defenses since the incident, however these defenses are centered around the KC Gate currently under construction, and not the system entry point. In addition the cruiser and light tender patterns are rather old. It is the analysis of Commodore McLean and attached military analysts that we are fully capable of taking such a fleet, outnumbering them in frigates, corvettes, and with battleships to their cruiser.

If I may offer an alternative suggestion. If Congress hopes to massage the fears of Ascension about the threat, building defenses in their system and leaving ships to guard would allow the same thing without starting a war the moment either; a Compact ship goes looking for them, or they fail to report back on time.

The Laurent said:
#AscensionQuestions

How long do they estimate the range for when the Compact fleet will be done and gone.

(17+5 (Diplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =27)

From information gathered, the original time for departure was six months from now. Though the 'delays' and shifting to extra defenses have caused that to be reevaluated. They currently estimate that the fleet will be gone in a year-and-a-half at most, though they will likely try to send a message updating their headquarters on the delay before then. In truth, had we not arrived, Ascension was hoping that the fleet would go to attack Osliam for cutting the communications off, solving that problem for them.

Elero said:
#AscensionQuestions

How many workers have they sent to the other charter colonies down the chain as part of their lottery draft and could they serve as undercover agents?

On the other hand, do they think the workers might be used as hostages against them if their true nature became known?

Alex the Average said:
#AscensionQuestions

What information can they provide us about the worlds that they are currently supplying workers to?

(3+5 (Diplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =13)

As far as can be determined the only place the conscripted have gone is to the gate building site in Raphanus, as Ascension is the final leg in the chain. My inquiries about possible undercover agents was met with a rather cold reception, where Representative Omari pointed out what they had already done to workers, and ask whether I wanted to endanger more civilian lives. Those chosen are done by draft, as it was the only fair way. All able bodied individuals of age are eligible for the draft (minus those in positions which lead to them being known by the Compact fleet as 'executives') and those drafted once do not have to go again until every other name has been called, but it is not voluntary. The need for draft itself appears to be a very sore spot. Their liberation would probably produce a lot of gratitude, but by contrast, their deaths would produce equal anger.

As a side note, after asking this question, Sakura decided to try her 'extreme spicy and sour' tea blends on me for the next 3 days.

Cassiemouse said:
#AscensionQuestions

What sort of FRM is Ascension able to offer if we choose to integrate and what sort of price will they require in resources if we choose to ally with them?

(11+5 (Diplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =21)

While they emphasize that their tech development has been rapid, their revolution only started when Captain Ericson's 'breakout' fleet left, and it took a year to fully secure the planet, as such they have had less time, and like ourselves, started with access to only basic tech patterns. What they can currently offer is advanced Omoikane, as well as advanced Rhodes tech, and I have included estimated prices below. Though they emphasise that they will have more available soon.

In addition, they are willing to offer another intriguing trade. Should we be willing to help with the gate project in the place of their own workers, as well as help set up resource extraction, they would be willing to dedicate research on any project we ask, free of charge.

The one technology that they are not yet willing to share is the creation of new AGIs. Given the abuse associated with it they likely need time to develop a bond of trust that we really won't use the technology to abusive ends. Though they do offer their services for the creation of AGIs free to any Radiant AGIs who wish for offspring.

(1 point of research for 2 BR or 1 SR. Energy to long-distance to trade.
Extra offer: If Industry dice is dedicated to "Help Ascension" gain extra science die, rolled with Ascensions bonuses)

Graf Tzarogy said:
#AscensionQuestions

Does Ascension have any significant internal political factions? Are any of them hostile to the idea of cooperation with the ARC?

(15+5 (Diplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =25)

Though it was not easy to get this, as they wished to present a united front, talking with workers on the station revealed some key details. That said, these details come from rumors and and personal opinions based on who I was able to talk to, so how much of this is their individual perception and how accurate the information I can't say.

-Currently Ascension is in a far more 'survival mindset' than us. Having only secured the planet a year and half ago and remaining in a consistent conflict since then until our arrival. This has prevented major factionalization in favour of a "hang together" mindset.
-There is a general fury over the concessions to the Compact fleet, and a good number of groups who want to do something, though Ascension's current military weakness has kept too many from actually voting for candidates who support that.
--A small faction even resents AGI for not being subject to the draft. Though the only evidence of their existence was drunken rambling about "what jackasses they are", I do not think they are popular. If they are then those chosen for the station are not in favor of them.
-There is resentment over the ruling coalition offering us such unequal terms. With one noting that we were allowed to send election inspectors to them, but they didn't have any for us. Others resent that they are in circumstances where integrating with the first big polity seems like a good idea instead of retaining their own sovereignty.
-The existence of these factions, and the word count spent should not be taken to mean a majority. I received several toasts for 'taking out that bastard in Osliam'. There is considerable excitement for what they can now do without dedicating so much to war.
-War exhaustion seems to be a major factor in reluctance for conflict. They have never not been in an active war that required massive rationing and effort since the conflict began. (on that note, we will need to make sure they are following anti-overproductivity campaigns)
-Curiously, AGI are responsible for a considerable amount of the 'anti-compact-war" vote. There is some speculation that this is that 'do not fight the Compact' is a VERY heavily enforced thought process. This leads to a minor "AGI problem" which is that the former "NH-VI's" ARG's are traumatized into obedience. As such they tend to do what anyone tells them, and block votes for conservative candidates. (in the sense of previous hierarchy experience, not politics). This caused considerable debate, but the consensus among the revolutionaries was that trying to put in some sort of 'freedom test' so to say they had gone through enough therapy to vote was just asking for trouble.

Model DC.14F said:
#AscensionQuestions

Can you share the broadcast that show Vice-Admiral Visser executing civilians? Is there any evidence of Omoikane misdeeds and/or OCB sucesses that you would like to us to take to Sol?

Maybe we can also hint that one of the proposals for the trip to Sol is attempting to share the FRM hacks with the proletariat, and try to gauge their reaction to the idea.

(6+5 (DIplomatic Priority) + 5 (Alexander chosen) =16)

The broadcasts they have are Visser announcing that violent rebels were put down. Framed as 'terrorists who threatened the gates'. The rest is worker testimony from workers already there, which need to be anonymized for any testimony, which makes them easily deniable.

They do not want any OCB success since they are still pretending to be loyal. While they have shared a few Omoikane projects that take far more personal data from people than advertised, it is not major. They emphasize that we should not, under any circumstances, inform the wider galaxy that the NH-VI are true AI's. It would devastate Omoikane, but it would almost certainly result in the deaths of many, if not all, NH-VI's.

yeastmobile said:
#AscensionQuestions

Do they consider a propoganda blitz not aimed at the compact specifically as a first strike, as well as physical confrontations?

They don't care about anti-Charter propaganda. Unfortunately without sharing the existence of the broadcast, I do not think the heart of this question can be addressed. And I cannot do that unless Congress authorizes it in negotiations.

The Laurent said:
#AscensionQuestions

What's their population?

5 Million. Plus 50,000 AGI's, making them possibly the highest population of AGI in all known existence.

Tatbee said:
#AscensionQuestions

How binding would the ...agreement? ...treaty? ...contract? be, for OCB to integrate into ARC?

- Once the integration process has started, can it be paused, stopped, or reversed?

- At what point would the OCB become ARC citizens?

- If ARC maintains all 3 OCB guarantees, to the letter, would the OCB have any "legal" recourse to back out?

("to the letter", i.e. we can't provoke the Compact, but the Charters are fair game; ARC goes ahead with an anti-Charter HI-hack broadcast, inciting revolution)

Both Ascension and ourselves were in a legal agreement to work for the charters until our dying days for a pittance. We both tore them up when we felt they were abusive. This agreement is not a treaty to enforce, but a measure of honest trust. If they feel that trust is abused, they will leave.

They would become citizens when both we and they agree upon meeting standards for joining.

yeastmobile · Sep 23, 2021

clockworkchaos said:
They don't care about anti-Charter propaganda. Unfortunately without sharing the existence of the broadcast, I do not think the heart of this question can be addressed. And I cannot do that unless Congress authorizes it in negotiations.

Alright who wants to vote on authorizing this information.

Angelform · Sep 23, 2021

clockworkchaos said:
It is the analysis of Commodore McLean and attached military analysts that we are fully capable of taking such a fleet, outnumbering them in frigates, corvettes, and with battleships to their cruiser.

That is exceedingly reassuring. Both in the short term (we don't have a doom fleet at our back) and the long (the Compact fleet is not so large that they send capital ships on gate building expeditions).

The 'build defences' bit is somewhat concerning. Do they intend to strand that fleet on the edge of civilisation permanently? Abandon the people already working on the gate?

By the sound of it their ''anti-compact-war" thing is more wishful thinking and desperation than ideology. They think hiding is their only hope of survival. Except that hiding isn't going to work, not long term. The Charter are coming

So… I'm inclined to go with something similar to what The Laurent proposed. Tell them the actual situation and see if they are still adamant about not provoking the Charters.

The Laurent · Sep 23, 2021

I think we should promise to build the gate defenses and also leave enough of a fleet to defend them as part of our push to try to convince them about the Broadcast, IMO.

For The Tyrants Fear Your Might (A quest of interstellar rebellion)

Been Better

Let her name echo in song!

"Well, I've got nothing."

Market Atheist