Here is a planetary system database. Not everything is accurate, or even remotely current. Some of the comments may suffer from cultural bias :-) A notation of PW means Prewar. EDF evaluation is the ConFed estimate of how well the planetary system can survive on its own. The second number is how important to the EDF the system is. The higher the numbers, the better. A side note: most governments try to entice trained and/or needed personel to emigrate to their system. In quite a few systems, land grants, privileges and technical support are offered. In some other systems, so rumors say, emigration is not always of a volunteer nature. In some systems, mainly those with pirate problems, it is perilous to jump in unnanouced and unexpectedly. Nervous authorithies have been known to fire first and ask once it is too late. A favorite pirate trick is to jump in-system along the trade routes, look for targets, and jump out if there are none. This allows them to avoid system defenses. When a target is present, the pirate tries to intercept and board it, retreating before the expected wave of ACVs. Usually, pirates will not kill the crew if they surrendered, but leave them with the means to reach the nearest station. In the first few years, when pirates used to slaughter the people in captured ships, it became common practice to blow one's vessel, possibly taking the other with you, rather than let him get away. Here is a planetary system database. Not everything is accurate, or even remotely current. Some of the comments may suffer from cultural bias :-) A notation of PW means Prewar. EDF evaluation is the ConFed estimate of how well the planetary system can survive on its own. The second number is how important to the EDF the system is. The higher the numbers, the better. A side note: most governments try to entice trained and/or needed personel to emigrate to their system. In quite a few systems, land grants, privileges and technical support are offered. In some other systems, so rumors say, emigration is not always of a volunteer nature. In some systems, mainly those with pirate problems, it is perilous to jump in unnanouced and unexpectedly. Nervous authorithies have been known to fire first and ask once it is too late. A favorite pirate trick is to jump in-system along the trade routes, look for targets, and jump out if there are none. This allows them to avoid system defenses. When a target is present, the pirate tries to intercept and board it, retreating before the expected wave of ACVs. Usually, pirates will not kill the crew if they surrendered, but leave them with the means to reach the nearest station. In the first few years, when pirates used to slaughter the people in captured ships, it became common practice to blow one's vessel, possibly taking the other with you, rather than let him get away with it, and kill you anyway. Since to use that strategy you need to know the schedule of a ship, it is usual for merchants to take unexpected, and sometimes dangerous, actions. Merchants will usually be paranoid about keeping their schedules secret, and go to great lenghts to be imprevisible. Still, that is sometimes not enough. Raiders will sometimes raid those colonies that have the lightest of defenses. Or raid isolated stations. While they do not usually slaughter everyone, departing with critical pieces of the life support system can be as good as a death sentence for those left behind. NAME : Ochepak Data is : 2 weeks old Population : 3,750,000 (12,800,000 PW) Govt type : Anarchy/Autocraty (weak) Allegiance : EDF Imports : Food. Armaments (contraband). Medical supplies. Metals. Fertilizers. Exports : Processed metals, Heavy industry, Electronics. Civil unrest : System-wide Civil War EDF evaluation : 3 / 8 Ochepak has two habitable planets: Ochepak-3 (Tellen) and Ochepak-4 (Rellen). The system also has one major refueling station, two orbital stations in Tellen orbit, a station and a shipyard in Rellen orbit. While habitable, Rellen's climate is tolerable only along the equator. Other than at the equator, the climate is harsh and cold. The planet was first settled as a mining colony. Mineral ressources, however, were quickly deple- ted: the original survey proved erroneous as to the richness of its crust, and subsequent surveys were proven to have been dabbled in by criminal hands... Tellen was later settled to provide some of the food necessary for the colony, and later received new arrivals from Rellen as people moved in to a (not much) better climate. Tellen's surface air pressure is low, rougly equal to the pressure to be encountered at about 3000m of altitude. Although it is better suited for agriculture than Rellen, the planet's harvests have never been impressice. When it became clear that the mineral ressources would be depleted rapidly, the new government worked overtime to attract the investments neces- sary to give a future to the system. Through determination, good administra- tion and luck, they were succesful, and managed to develop the system's indus- trial base. Through the years, the system prosperred. The one point that had always been a concern was food production, and great efforts were put to try and reduce the system's dependency on imports. Before the war, the system was almost self-sufficient in that respect, mostly due to the numerous food factories on Rellen (algae farms and processing centers). There also were great food warehouses on Rellen and Tellen to weather a possible supply break. Then the ILR struck. While 7 destroyers and a battlecuiser swooped in-system, ILR agents and saboteurs were active trying to wreck targets of opportunity. Namely the hard to defend factories and power plants. EDF and Homeguard forces reacted rapidly, but it was too little too late. Opposing the ILR fleet were only a few frigates led by two destroyers. The ILR fleet retreated, but only after firing a swarm of impactors at the system's targets. Too few of those impactors were intercepted for it to matter. While most of the population could be evacuated from the cities, and while heroic efforts allowed the crippled stations and shipyard to be salvaged, most of the planet's industrial base disappeared overnight... The effects on Tellen were particularly serious. The dust thrown into the atmosphere by the impactors was enough to lower the planet's average temperature by 4 degrees. Suddenly, Tellen ceased to be able to produce food. The situation was not yet catastrophic: the EDF promised help, and most of the food factories and warehouses survived intact, legacy from a par- ticularly paranoid president who had insisted that such critical industries be spread over the largest possible area. Not even the best efforts of the sabo- teurs were enough, once the Homeguard was organized, to more than slightly damage them. In the first few months of the war, the shipyard was repaired, and food brought in in quantity. Food had to be rationed, but things were not too bleak. As the war progressed, and ships were lost to the enemy, less and less ships remained available to ship food in... Then the citizens realized the gravity of the situation. It did not take two days for the government to collapse. In the twenty years that followed, over 9 millions died of famines, or in combat over control of the food supplies. The relative isolation of the warehouses and food plants helped protect most of them from the worst ravages of war. In the first few years, the Home- guard valiantly defended those critical installations, and insured a generally fair distribution of the available food. A mob, however, is not easy to con- vince, and the Guard's job was an impossible one. With time, some semblance of order was restored. All the warlords agreed that damage to the installations was to be avoided at any cost, and no-fire zones were centered on the surviving factories. Defining who controls what has always been the problem, one that is not entirely settled yet. It is generally accepted that if you can reach the "flagpoint" and hold it, the factory is yours. The "flagpoint" is an area several kilometers away from the factory, and does not change position. To destroy or damage a factory is to declare war on all. Excess food is generally traded, but it is sometimes hoarded, to face leaner times. Also, a weak government, formed by the currently strongest factions, exist. The government's purpose is to insure that the other factories, those that do not produce food, are also left undamaged. Since those factories often need offworld supplies, the government is the one that deals with trader ships, and the EDF. On paper, at the least, the system is still part of ConFed. The government also controls the stations, and the shipyard. The way things work is pretty much the same on both planets, but neither planetary government trusts the other and, were it not for the several EDF in-system ships, warfare between the two would have broken out long ago. Despite all this, the system is the source of much needed electronic parts, heavy industry and processed metals. This should not work, but it does, and ConFed is very careful not to tip things over. Cutting the flow of pro- ducts from this system would have grievous repercussions. Generally speaking, the population is not particularly hostile to off- worlders, and the government will generally intercede on their behalf, but it is dangerous to get out of Kigaly or Xtysht the capitals of Rellen and Tellen. EDF personel have been known to be ambushed for their military rations, and weaponry. Even in the capitals, it is recommended to travel in groups of more than five, armed and armored. Imported goods are extremely expensive, but locally produced goods can be cheaply had for food. System defense is insured by the EDF as there is no Homeguard, and it is dangerous to leave space weapons in the hands of the planetary factions. As there is almost no trade between the two planets, almost all the in-system ships have been taken over by the EDF, and armed. Because of the system's importance, a significant number of Ekosiaki ACVs have been allocated to the system, making it dangerous for pirates or raiders. Which does not stop them from trying, as the pickings are juicy. Oops! Adjustment fire, 1000 Meters left... No, no, the other left! -Axly, Forward observer for a day. Phoenix Command Artillery System Because you were more ready than some others, I must reward you in some fashion. Here is some data that you have on Ochepak, from your own files, that the others don't have. Also, if you have specific questions, your files proba- bly have the answers, so ask me :-) * There is an ILR embassy on Rellen * Cannibalism is not so uncommon in certain areas. Carnivores are some- times distrusted as a result. * Vehicles and structures holding irreplaceable equipment, or vehicles bringing supplies to the factories, are painted in high-visibility black and yellow bars, with red trimming. It is considered a terrible offense to damage such a structure, and very bad form to destroy such a vehicle. * Mercenary gangs abound. Preferred mode of payment is food. * There are gun-runners in the system. Merchants bring weapons and ammo in crates, and the port authorities rarely open them to see what is in it. * Almost everyone is armed, ready to jump on the best opportunity. And they usually know which end of the pistol to hold. * Tellen is a backwater. The situation is about as bad as on Rellen, but as it has not much heavy industry, it holds little interest to the ILR or ConFed. * Port authorithies can be, and often are, bought. There is a very high level of corruption everywhere. * The composition of the Government changes almost dayly, with the good or bad fortune of clans. Well, this is it for the moment. Louis ---- You may use this file for personal use. You may also redistribute it provided that this message is there and no alterations have been made to this file. Albedo and Birthright are copyrighted by Steve Gallacci. This file was written for use with my Albedo email game; elements in it may very well diverge from the official storyline. As well, in this or other files, certain elements may have been modified to suit my game. This file may contain game-related information directed at my players that make no sense to you: I unfortunately do not have the time to go over my files and make the necessary corrections. Louis Fillion kamerym@cam.org (main address) lfillion@buscom.ca (secondary address) ----