A General History of the Starbane Empire    V2.0, 22 June 2005, prepared by David Ternes

Introduction Location General History   Medieval Origins   Exodus From Earth   Space Colonization   Early Expansion   Continued Expansion   First Alien Contact   Second Alien Contact   The Warp Field Molding Effect   The El'oi War   Cluster Unification Pact   Return To The Galactic Disk

Geography Of The Empire   Major Worlds   Minor Worlds   Colonial Worlds   Miscellaneous Worlds   Humans On Alien Worlds   Associated Worlds   Imperial Population Imperial Government

Imperial Starbane Military   Imperial Navy   Imperial Army   Imperial Marines   Imperial Planetary Defense Force   Reserves   Imperial Guard & Militia Forces   Imperial Space Police Current Events   Diplomacy   Intelligence Gathering And Economics   Meetings In The Galactic Disk Significant Events In Starbane History

Medieval Origins   ^
   Fleeing from overwhelming enemy forces and renouncing all previous loyalties, the leader, Lord Starbane (later Emperor Starbane I), with his retainers and numerous followers, took a great risk and sailed west to a group of islands located in the Atlantic Ocean. There they found a much less advanced indigenous culture. With a clear military superiority, they settled in as the new rulers. Through enlightened rule, astute political maneuvering, firm legal management, and powerful military advances, the Starbanes quickly conquered all of the islands and established the "Starbane Empire".
   Through the centuries the Starbane Empire was a modest force in the affairs of Earth, usually trying to stay out of the great conflicts. The safety of the islands was guaranteed by a strong and effective military which never failed its country.

Exodus From Earth   ^
   The Empire suffered somewhat less than did most of the rest of the world during the Eugenics Wars. This was a result of their normal isolation from the world, and due to their policy of contributing only the minimum of military forces to the efforts of the United Nations, while retaining large forces at home to defend their islands.
   The Earth-bound period of the Empire’s history came to an end with the beginnings of the formation of Terra’s world government. Unlike so many of the Earth’s countries, which actively sought safety through economic socialization and a unified world government, the Starbanes had always prized their independence, and accepted the responsibility of taking care of themselves. With a full knowledge of the disastrous history of the pure representative forms of government on Terra, and a solid distrust of the social and economic systems proposed under the soon to be formed government, the Empire firmly refused to join any world governing body unless they were given veto powers over all laws which applied to the Empire. This was, of course, totally unacceptable to the proposed world government. However, despite the generally declining military forces of the great powers, the Starbanes had retained sufficient military power to cause major problems for the world government, given its weakened condition after the Eugenics War. Since neither side really wanted a fight, a compromise was clearly necessary. Therefore, rather than suffer through another major war, the world government agreed to fund a new exodus for the Starbanes.

Space Colonization   ^
   In the year 2050 A.D.¹ the construction of a colonial fleet was begun for the Starbane exodus. The work was funded partly by the Starbane Empire and, to a much greater extent, by the planned world government. Loading of the fleet began in early 2059 A.D.
   All of the necessities of then modern life were included as part of the fleet’s cargo. Most notable among the vast number of items included were entire ore processors, refineries, and factories, all broken down into their component pieces. Under Emperor Joseph XI (the 43rd Starbane Emperor), the fleet left Earth in 2060 A.D. and headed towards the outer edge of human explored space. Approximately 1.5 million individuals were embarked on the fleet (about 9% of the population of the Empire).
   During the voyage there were two primary goals; first, to find one or more suitable solar systems for colonization, and second, to avoid all contact with other space faring races. Both of these objectives were completely achieved. However, the effort to find a home which was Earth-like, safe, and uninhabited required almost three years and took the fleet outside of the main galactic disk.
   In August of 2063 A.D. a star with a class M planet was discovered. Exploration showed that the planet had a light covering of plants, but no insect, animal, or other higher form of life (i.e., it was exactly what they had been looking for). After verifying that the plant life was not dangerous to humans, the star and planet were named, Starbane, and colonization of the planet (Starbane II) began.

Early Expansion   ^
   Thanks to the thorough planning prior to departure, everyday life quickly achieved a level which would have been considered "normal", or at least acceptable, back on Earth. The population expanded rapidly as large areas of the planet Starbane were converted to a Terran ecology. The military, with nothing to fight, established a number of defensive bases throughout the solar system, and began careful exploratory expeditions to all of the nearby stars. In the years 2074 A.D. and 2078 A.D. two additional colonies, Thelmecia (Hoffa IV) and Gray’s World (Gray’s Star II), were established. In 2088 A.D. the water world of Oasis was discovered and a small colony was placed thereon.
   Also during this time period a portion of the colonial fleet returned to Earth to recruit additional colonists. In 2081 and 2082, almost one million individuals from all across the Earth volunteered to join the colony. During this visit the fleet commander also intentionally misinformed the Terran world government of the location of the new Starbane Empire, to prevent them from maintaining contact.

Continued Expansion   ^
   Exploration and colonization continued through the end of the 21st century and into the 22nd century. In 2091 A.D. the planet Dunswilly (Perlman III) was colonized. In 2101 A.D. the planet Highland (Wayne II) was opened for colonization.
   In 2104 A.D. the jungle planet Whatamess (Rorack VI) was discovered, and in 2108 A.D. it was opened for colonization. Paradise (Derau II), a desert world, was opened to colonization in 2098 A.D.. Neither of these planets were ever expected to be large population centers due to their severe conditions, but both offered unique natural resource assets to the Empire.
   The planet Susan (Blethan VI) was colonized in 2132 A.D., and was the last of the major planets to be colonized by the empire.
   In 2117 A.D. the volcanic planet of Hell’s Edge (Rorack IV) was colonized from Whatamess. This planet was considered to be a good prospect for colonization due to its extensive deposits of valuable metal. In 2175 A.D., Jeuton (Laroid II) was the last notable colony established, although it was clear that this desert planet would never be able to sustain a large population.

First Alien Contact   ^
   While on a standard exploration and mapping mission in 2120 A.D., the light cruiser Striker detected electromagnetic emissions coming from the Kenval system. Upon closer investigation, the Striker realized that it had found the first alien civilization to be encountered by the Empire since its exodus from Earth. The Strau were a humanoid race with a technological level approximately equivalent to that of early to early 20th century Earth.
   Five years of careful study followed before the empire decided to make contact with the Strau. After the expected excitement of being contacted by a space-faring race, the Strau opened regular diplomatic relations with the empire.
   Five years of careful study followed before the empire decided to make contact with the Strau. After the expected excitement of being contacted by a space-faring race, the Strau opened regular diplomatic relations with the empire.
   Since that time the Strau have eagerly adopted to the ways of the Empire economically, socially, and culturally.

Second Alien Contact   ^
   In 2129 A.D., the Imperial cruiser Adventure entered the Landeau system and met a rather primitive, but quite functional, space ship. This proved to belong to the Tisk civilization. This insect-like race had limited interplanetary space travel technology, and has been in the process of expanding to other planets within their solar system for almost two hundred years. They had very little interest in alien contact. Limited diplomatic relations were established.

The Warp Field Molding Effect   ^
   The year 2133 A.D. is included as one of the four most significant years in the Empire’s history (the others being the original founding of the Empire, the exodus into space, and the finding of the El’oi civilization). In this year Doctor Dwight Pinson discovered the Warp Field Molding Effect. This process, which is still a highly classified secret of the Imperial military, allows space warp fields to be molded and shaped so as to perform an incredible variety of tasks. The effect continues to be the single most important capability of the Imperial military’s weaponry.

The El’oi War   ^
   The years 2186 A.D. through 2188 A.D. are indelibly burned into the Empire’s collective memory. The El’oi War was short but extremely violent, and resulted in over 1 billion human deaths.

Third Alien Contact
   Early in the year 2186 A.D. was the beginning of the most traumatic period in the empire’s history. While passing the Rensel system, the frigate Encounter (a fateful name) detected unknown signals coming from the fifth planet (still known simply as El’oi World Number 1). A quick investigation showed that this was an unknown race with at least some interstellar flight capability. In the middle of the same year the Encounter returned to the area with an alien contact team in order to establish relations with this new race.
   The El’oi Clkt (this is the closest human sound to the alien’s name for themselves) were a reptilian-like race which had expanded out from a home world to three additional star systems, each of which they were well into the process of colonizing.
   The initial contact appeared to go well. The El’oi seemed eager for information about the Empire. It was thought that this indicated a desire to establish commercial trade and an exchange of technological information. The only warning that the Imperial representatives had to the coming disaster was a note in the ambassador’s cultural aide’s report regarding the commonness of violence in the interpersonal relationships of the individual El’oi. Based on the apparent success of the initial contacts, the El’oi were invited to send representatives to Highland (the closest major world of the empire) to formalize a peace agreement and establish normal relations.

Beginning Of The War
   June 14th of 2187 is now recorded as the effective beginning of the El’oi War. On this date, a force of five El’oi warships entered the Enward system. This system is located almost directly along the shortest path between El’oi World Number 1 and Highland. It also contained a minor military outpost in orbit around Enward IX. The El’oi warships headed directly for this facility, and destroyed it with great and seemingly unnecessary violence. The last transmission from the outpost indicated that they were not expecting trouble, and had sent a series of friendly greetings to the El’oi, all of which were ignored.
   Having had friendly relations with the other two alien races that the Empire encounter, the Empire was not ready to absorb the idea of an aggressive and seeming mindlessly violent new race. The destroyer ISS Allen was sent to El’oi World Number 2 (believed to be the El’oi’s home world). The Allen’s mission was to determine why the attack had been made and what could be done to correct this situation. The Allen was never heard from again. On August the 10th of 2187, Emperor Michael VIII declared that a state of war existed between the Starbane Empire and the El’oi race. Military mobilization was quickly accomplished, although few believed that anything serious would result from the emergency situation.
   In October, a fourteen ship task force consisting of the 7th Cruiser Squadron and elements of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla entered the system containing El’oi World Number 1 on a scouting mission. The force was met by thirty-two El’oi ships, which pounded the Imperial force and forced its retreat with the loss of ten ships. The loss of the battle and ships was a major shock to the Empire and to the Imperial Navy, but the El’oi’s delivery to Highland in November of the feet of the dead crew members was more than the empire’s high command would tolerate (it is now known that this was an El’oi tradition of taunting enemies and scaring the next target of their attack).

Black Sunday
   December 17th, 2187 is now known as "Black Sunday". On this date, a fleet of over one hundred El’oi warships approached the planet of Highland. In a major battle, the Imperial Navy’s Highland Command fought the enemy and destroyed seventy-four of them. However, thirty-one of the invaders were able to reach the planet. They launched a short but viciously thorough attack using thermonuclear and other types of energy weapons. Over a period of about five hours the population of the planet, approximately 1.1 billion people, had either been destroyed or turned into refugees. Those not killed in the initial attack died within a few days due to radiation poisoning and the general destruction of the planetary support infrastructure.
   Only three El’oi warships succeeded in exiting the star system.
   Upon hearing of the attack and its effects, Emperor Michael issued his famous order, "End this now! End them now!" The Imperial Navy took the order literally.

Counterattack
   The "Grand Fleet" was formed on January 12th, 2188. The fleet consisted of one hundred and thirty six ships, almost one-half of the Imperial Navy’s total deep space warships at the time. Taking a circuitous route, and avoiding the obvious attack on El’oi World Number 1, the fleet moved against El’oi World Number 4. In a short battle in which no Imperial ships were lost, the defenders were defeated, and the planet was subjected to an intense bombardment intended to render it uninhabitable.
   The fleet quickly moved to El’oi World Number 1, arriving there in mid February. At that world it repeated its attack, with the loss of only four imperial ships destroyed, and twelve ships heavily damaged.
   After being resupplied and reinforced, the Grand Fleet moved on El’oi World Number 3 in April. There, another modest battle was fought with no significant losses to the Imperial forces. However, the fleet found that this world, now known as Batraine, was primarily inhabited by an unknown race (the Batraine). It was decided to destroy all military installations in the system but to leave the planet untouched as long as it posed no immediate threat to the Empire.
   With the arrival of more reinforcements in early May, the Grand Fleet was brought to a total of one hundred and seventy ships. This force advanced on and attacked El’oi World Number 2 (the El’oi Clkt’s home world).
   The "Battle For World 2" is the largest known space battle to date. The 170 Imperial warships faced over 400 El’oi ships (although about one-quarter of these were transports which apparently had been hastily armed). The battle was in doubt throughout its first hour, until Rear Admiral James Schank, leading the Third Strike Group (5th Cruiser Squadron, 12th Destroyer Squadron, and 13th Destroyer Squadron), broke through a gap in the enemy’s formation. The Strike Group drove straight toward the planet which radiated the greatest amount of electro-magnetic energy. Well over half of the enemy’s remaining force broke contact with the main fleet to pursue the Strike Group. Knowing that the group had no realistic chance of actually reaching the planet, Admiral Schank led the pursuing ships of the enemy fleet in a prolonged stern chase. Under intense fire, the Strike Group was slowly destroyed. In turn each ship was crippled, dropped out of formation, and was destroyed. The Strike Group’s sacrifice was not, however, in vain.
   With the enemy fleet’s formation broken, the Grand Fleet was able to overwhelm that portion which stood its ground and fought. By the end of the second hour of the battle, the main enemy force had ceased to exist. The ships of the Imperial fleet then split into two groups. The smaller group of about forty ships began the bombardment of the planet.
   The remaining units of the El’oi fleet turned from the survivors of the Third Strike Group to engage the Imperial ships attacking the planet. Seizing the opportunity, the main body of the Imperial fleet attacked the El’oi ships from the rear and the final slaughter began.
   At the end of the battle no El’oi ships remained. Each of the hulks were then either destroyed or searched and taken for future study. The planet itself was reduced to a burned out cinder by a combined bombardment from the entire Grand Fleet.
   After effecting repairs and replenishment, the remaining operational vessels of the fleet returned to the system of El’oi World Number 3. The world was blockaded until an invasion force could be summoned.

The End
   When the transports arrived, a ground assault was immediately launched. The main land campaign required less than six weeks, with and additional six weeks of mop-up operations. The effort was made notably easier by the active participation of the planet’s inhabitants against the remaining El’oi (it is believed that they actually killed almost as many of the El’oi as the Imperial Army).
   Using information supplied by the Batraine, the last outlying El’oi outposts were located and destroyed within two months. The last engagement between Imperial forces and El’oi Clkt warships occurred on November 5th, 2188. The pursuit of surviving El’oi continued until the year 2196.

Cluster Unification Pact   ^
   The El’oi War changed forever the Empire’s outlook on aliens with independent governments. Although the alien races known to the Empire were respected, they would not be completely trusted unless they were under the Empire’s control.
   This attitude was expressed in the Cluster Unification Pact, signed in 2193. In effect this agreement bound the three known alien races, Strau, Tisk, and Batraine to a secondary status within the Empire. The Strau and Tisk would be allowed to control their own internal affairs, but they agreed that the Empire would handle all external affairs and contacts. The Batraine were accepted into the Empire in a secondary status as a protectorate.
   Given the close economic relation with the Strau, and the extremely friendly political and cultural contact with the Betraine, many feel that this will turn out to be the first step in the unification of the races in the cluster.

Return To The Galactic Disk   ^
   After the El’oi War, the outer limits of the Starbane Cluster were quickly reached, and outward expansion ceased. A period of peace and internal growth followed, but there were always pressures to expand, especially since the population was growing rapidly under the traditional social pressure to have large families (in 2195 A.D., five children was the average per family, and this was down from a high of over seven children per family in 2090 A.D.).
   When Emperor David XI ascended the throne in 2208, he promised to renew the expansion of the Empire. Initially exploration was conducted towards a number of individual stars above the galactic disk near the Starbane Cluster. When these proved of limited value, the exploration moved farther outward toward other clusters. However, practicality ruled that any colonies in these other clusters would be hard to maintain contact with, due to their distance.
   Somewhat reluctantly, the Emperor directed that exploration be targeted back toward the main body of the galaxy, even though everyone knew there were many warlike races located there. The initial penetrations in 2217 A.D. were made in two locations near the edges of what is commonly known as "The Triangle".
   What will result from these moves is unknown.

Major Worlds   ^
   The five major worlds comprise the heart of the Empire and include the vast majority of the human population. These worlds are; Starbane, Thelmecia, Gray’s World, Dunswilly, and Susan. The planet of Highland would have been included as a major world had it not been destroyed in the El’oi War.

Starbane

Designation:    Starbane III   First Settled:   2063 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   3,335,600,000

Capital:   Dunnensden   Land / Sea Area:   40% / 60%   Continents:   4   Moons:   1 - Monfear

   This is the capital world of the Starbane Empire and is the most heavily populated world of the Empire. It was the first inhabitable planet discovered in the cluster, and, after Thelmecia, it is the most Earth-like of all the Imperial worlds. Dunnensden is the capital of the world, the system, and the Empire.
   Starbane is the primary star system of the Empire in all categories of endeavor. The Empire’s administrative and military headquarters are located here, along with the largest and most important of the military’s installations and bases. Approximately one-third of the industrial capacity of the Empire is located on the planet or in this star system. This is also the home of the University Of Starbane, the largest institution of higher education in the empire. The Imperial Memorial Library is located in the capital and contains all known works of literature and technical materials, much of which is unique to the Starbane Empire. The Imperial Military Academy is located just outside of the capital city. The Imperial Naval Academy is in orbit around the planet.

Thelmecia

Designation:    Hoffa IV   First Settled:   2074 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   2,030,800,000

Capital:   Navox   Land / Sea Area:   30% / 70%   Continents:   3   Moons:   2 - Sarah, Milisa

   Thelmecia was the second Earth-like planet discovered in the Starbane Cluster, and therefore was the second world to be colonized. It has since grown to be a major manufacturing power, especially in the areas of heavy machinery and electronic engineering. The facilities for constructing space faring vessels at Thelmecia are almost as large as those at Starbane.
   Thelmecia’s continent of Michael is the largest true continent on any of the Empire’s worlds.

Gray’s World

Designation:    Gray’s Star II   First Settled:   2078 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   1,238,200,000

Capital:   Saratoga   Land / Sea Area:   35% / 65%   Continents:   7   Moons:   2 - Minasgrum, Hellrock

   Gray’s World was the third inhabitable planet discovered in the Starbane Cluster and was colonized as soon as the colony on Thelmecia was seen to be a success. It specializes in the development and manufacture of weapons, advanced computer control systems, and all types of power supply systems. The three best departments of physics in the Empire are located at universities on this planet.

Dunswilly

Designation:    Perlman III   First Settled:   2091 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   981,300,000

Capital:   Lazeround   Land / Sea Area:   25% / 75%   Continents:   5   Moons:   None

   Dunswilly is known for the variety of products it supplies to the other worlds of the Empire. Its primary products are food (especially specialty food items), industrial supplies (notably high quality diamonds), and heavy manufacturing equipment. Secondary products include armor plate, impulse engines, warp drives, and footwear. Dunswilly also has the largest concentration of medical facilities and advanced medical education schools in the Empire.

Susan

Designation:    Blethan VI   First Settled:   2132 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   415,800,000

Capital:   Colony City   Land / Sea Area:   20% / 80%   Continents:   6   Moons:   1 - Stevlan

   Susan was the last of the current major worlds to have been colonized. Although still primarily an agricultural and mining world, its industrial output passed the minimum to class it as a major world in 2217 A.D.

Highland

Designation:    Wayne II   First Settled:   2101 A.D.   Primary Race:   None   Population:   None

Capital:   None   Land / Sea Area:   30% / 70%   Continents:   2   Moons:   None

   Highland was a rapidly developing major planet of the Empire until the El’oi War. On "Black Sunday", 17 December 2187 A.D., a space fleet of the El’oi Clkt attacked the planet. Although gallantly defended by the Imperial Navy (only three of almost one hundred attacking enemy ships eventually escaped), the planet was subjected to an intense thermonuclear bombardment. The entire population of approximately 1.1 billion was killed in the attack or died soon afterwards. This attack led directly to the decision to exterminate the El’oi Clkt race.
   This planet is not now inhabitable due to the intense residual radiation.

Minor Worlds   ^
   The six minor worlds are off shoot colonies from the major worlds, and while often settled for as long as some of the major worlds, they have relatively small populations, usually due to the conditions of the planet. These worlds are; Oasis, Paradise, Whatamess, Hell’s Edge, Jeuton, and Durwood.

Oasis

Designation:    Webster IV   First Settled:   2088 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   148,700,000

Capital:   Oceana   Land / Sea Area:   10% / 90%   Continents:   1   Moons:   None

   Oasis is a water world whose population has been severely limited by the lack of usable level land. The most characteristic feature of Oasis is its mountains, both above and below water. The abundance of life in the planet’s ocean makes it a prime producer of bulk food products, especially those which use algae as a primary input. Most manufacturing on the planet is geared to the local needs, relying on exports of sea food and aquatic mining.

Paradise

Designation:    Derau II   First Settled:   2098 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   58,800,000

Capital:   Eden   Land / Sea Area:   95% / 5%   Continents:   1   Moons:   2 - Adam, Eve

   The planet of Paradise was discovered by the ISS Boone. The commander of this ship was known to have a strange sense of humor, and this may be the explanation for the naming of a hot, dry, arid planet as "Paradise". The Imperial Colonization Bureau also seems to have continued the humor by naming the site for the capital city as "Eden", and the moons "Adam" and "Eve". Fortunately, few colonists have had the poor sense to be fooled by these somewhat silly names.
   The equatorial belt of the planet is known for its constant high speed winds, which circle the world steadily. This makes a major portion of the area almost uninhabitable, leaving the northern and southern sections of the temperate zones and the polar regions as the sane living spots. These two areas contain almost all of the usable water on the planet, with about 65% of the total water on the planet located in the northern hemisphere.
   Paradise was colonized primarily because it contains an abundance of rare earths, minerals, metals (gallium and selenium among others), and dylithium crystals. It is not expected to ever grow out of its Minor World status since the maximum population is never expected to exceed 300 to 400 million people.

Whatamess

Designation:    Corydon III   First Settled:   2108 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   89,400,000

Capital:   Highland City   Land / Sea Area:   15% / 60% / 25%   Continents:   1   Moons:   None

   Whatamess was discovered in 21004 A.D. by the survey ship ISS Mountain. It is claimed by some that the planet got its name when a geological survey rating asked the ship’s captain for his proposed name just as the captain was reading the initial habitability report.
   The most notable feature on the planet is the almost unending swamps and marshes which constitute the majority of the land area. As the crust has long ceased any notable movement, most of the geographical features have been worn down to only a few feet above planetary sea level.
   The people are concentrated on the limited amounts of higher land which is dry. The main efforts of the population are aimed at draining the wetlands and creating additional habitable territory.

Hell’s Edge

Designation:    Hades II   First Settled:   2117 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   23,480,000

Capital:   Bloomfield   Land / Sea Area:   38% / 62%   Continents:   2   Moons:   None

   This planet is characterized by massive volcanic activity everywhere except the southern polar region It suffers from high heat and marginally breathable atmosphere. The population is generally considered insane by the rest of the Empire since they seem to love their planet with a passion. Common metals mining. Iron, sulfur, nickel, copper, etc. are all available in massive and very pure deposits. The ease of obtaining these metals will probably make it a major supplier of the Empire’s needs.

Durwood

Designation:    Durwood VI   First Settled:   2141 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   9,288,000

Capital:   Durwood City   Land / Sea Area:   45% / 55%   Continents:   5   Moons:   3 - Dillon, Marlon, Lump

   Durwood is the target of the largest of the Imperial terraforming efforts. The planet had a very weak plant based ecosystem which appeared to be slowly dying off. As it was totally unremarkable, the Imperial Bureau of Settlements (IBS) requested and was granted permission to completely replace the ecosystem with one based on terran plants and animals.
   To date one continent has the new ecosystem, and another is almost complete in its transformation. As terran organisms thrive on this world, the experts are certain that Durwood will one day be a major system within the Empire.

Jeuton

Designation:    Lariod II   First Settled:   2175 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   17,800,000

Capital:   Wholesale   Land / Sea Area:   65% / 35%   Continents:   1   Moons:   1- Moon

   This is another primarily desert world. Its one giant continent is edged with extremely high mountain ranges which restrict the flow of moist air into the interior of the continent. The result is almost constant rains on the outer coasts, and almost no rain in the interior.
   Given the abundant mineral assets of the interior of the continent, it is a certainty that terraforming will occur to significantly increase the habitability of the current deserts. Plans are currently underway to reduce the height of the mountain ranges in strategic locations to modify the planet’s weather patterns.

Colonial Worlds   ^
   The current six colonial worlds contain relatively newly established settlements, and all but one of these are located in star systems outside of the Starbane Cluster. Colonial worlds may be upgraded to minor worlds when they achieve a large enough population or become a significant part of the Imperial economic system. These worlds are; Dumond, Radiance, Albatross, Markroft, Quentin, and Haradin. Additional colonial worlds may be added at any time as suitable planets are discovered and colonized.

Dumond

Designation:    Burgundy V   First Settled:   2190 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   1,757,000

Capital:   New France   Land / Sea Area:   40% / 60%   Continents:   8   Moons:   2 - Darkmoon, Calais

   Dumond is the only colonial world now within the Starbane Cluster. Although discovered in 2175 A.D., it was initially not considered worth colonizing due to its arid conditions. However, after the El’oi War, a group of citizens from the planet Highland requested permission to attempt to colonize the world (fortunately for them, they had been off planet on Black Sunday). This effort gained great popular backing (there was even a move to rename the plant as "New Highland"). The initial group of colonists was the largest ever placed on a new colony (except for the original colonizing of Starbane itself).
   The population of Dumond is currently growing more rapidly per capita than that of any other planet in the Empire. The colonial government has announced a goal of achieving the status of a minor world within the next fifty years.

Radiance

Designation:    Big Red I   First Settled:   2192 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   1,081,000

Capital:   Ruby City   Land / Sea Area:   30% / 70%   Continents:   5   Moons:   1 - Pool

   Radiance was the first inhabitable planet found circling a star which was not part of the main Starbane Cluster. It received the standard initial colonial settlement in 2192 A.D. and has grown as expected since then. The world is well suited for humans and has the potential to eventually reach the status of a major world. It currently has no notable exportable products.

Albatross

Designation:    Sequin VII   First Settled:   2195 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   605,000

Capital:   Heidleburg   Land / Sea Area:   2% / 98%   Continents:   1   Moons:   1 - Jewel

   Albatross is covered in water, most of which is heavily contaminated with poisonous sodium and copper salts. It was originally used as a minor mining world. However, when a process was found for extracting rare minerals from the oceans, the population expanded in a sudden burst. Despite the unexpected influx of colonists, Albatross has the slowest population growth rate in the empire, mainly due to the high rate at which young people tend to leave the planet. The limited usable land space and harsh environment will undoubtedly limit this planet to a permanent colonial status.

Markroft

Designation:    Realus IV   First Settled:   2198 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   634,000

Capital:   Aliceville   Land / Sea Area:   30% / 70%   Continents:   7   Moons:   2 - Rabinroft, Starroft

   The planet of Markroft is a beautiful world and it is considered to be highly likely that it will someday develop into a major world with a very large population. The colonial effort is too new on this world for it to be productive to the Empire, although Markroft will undoubtedly become a major manufacturing center within the next century.

Quentin

Designation:    Mainran II   First Settled:   2209 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   236,000

Capital:   Healopolis   Land / Sea Area:   25% / 75%   Continents:   4   Moons:   1 - Raker

   The planet of Quentin is a world with a fast growing population. It is a biologically rich and diverse world which will be capable of supporting a huge population someday. Currently the main efforts on the planet are directed at keeping the fast growing jungles out of the new settlements and finding uses for the great variety of plants.

Haradin

Designation:    Gipsi V   First Settled:   2218 A.D.   Primary Race:   Human   Population:   170,000

Capital:   Haradin City   Land / Sea Area:   15% / 85%   Continents:   3   Moons:   4 - Manlin, Holdin, Rad, Bebble

   Haradin is the most recently colonized of the notable worlds. It is also the inhabited system farthest from the main Starbane Cluster. The world possesses excellent mineral and other natural resources which will enable it to develop quickly as a manufacturing and export source.
   Haradin’s primary drawback is the limited extent of its biological environment. The planet’s natural ecosystem was very limited and barely able to sustain itself. The introduction of off world plants has helped the situation, but it will require decades to establish a system capable of supporting large numbers of people, and centuries to make the planet truly comfortable.
   Haradin City, with a population of about 23,000, touts itself as "the littlest big city in the Empire".

Miscellaneous Worlds   ^
   The miscellaneous worlds are a collection of fourteen planets on which there have been recorded colonial efforts not backed by the Imperial Bureau of Settlements (IBS). These represent the efforts of small groups to establish privately controlled settlements. Such efforts, while not helped by the Imperial government, are not discouraged since they save the Empire the capital investment for the colony.
   To date, most of these worlds have achieved a population of only a few thousand, with the largest having a population of less than 30,000. The reasons for the limited populations are both the small size of the initial colonial group and the fact that the worlds are only marginally habitable (obviously, the IBS would have claimed them if they had been at all useful).
   There are four other worlds which were formerly classified as miscellaneous, but which have now been abandoned. Projections are that at least five of the current miscellaneous worlds will be abandoned within the next twenty years.
   The combined populations of the Miscellaneous Worlds is 132,000.

Humans On Alien Worlds   ^
   Humans have taken up residence on the alien worlds within the Empire, with most of these being on Batraine. The combined population is 670,000.

Associated Worlds   ^
   The associated worlds are the three systems inhabited by alien races. These worlds are; Strau, Tisk, and Batraine. Strau and Tisk are each self governing, with full internal autonomy. Batraine is a special case, with only limited internal control. The empire, however, controls any and all external contacts for all of these worlds.

Strau

Designation:    Kenval V   First Contacted:   2125 A.D.   Primary Race:   Strau   Population:   3,148,300,000

Capital:   Snekeld’donn   Land / Sea Area:   39% / 61%   Continents:   5   Moons:   2 - L’llraner, L’llpaber

   This planet was first detected in 2120 A.D. by the light cruiser Striker. After five years of careful study, the Empire made contact. At that time the Strau had developed a civilization about equal to early 20th century Earth.
   The Strau are mammalian and clearly the result of the long ago seeding of humanoid life forms throughout the galaxy. Their overall outlook on life tends to be a bit more easy-going than that of the Empire.
   There have always been peaceful relations with the Strau, mainly because the Strau, as a race, quickly adopted to the life style common within the Empire. With the active participation of Imperial businessmen, the Strau economy has been integrated into the Imperial economy.
   In 2193 the Strau agreed to the Cluster Unification Pact, in which they accepted the ascendancy of the Starbane Empire.

Tisk

Designation:    Landeau III & IV   First Contacted:   2129 A.D.   Primary Race:   Tisk   Population:   8,996,100,000 (±15%)

Capital:   Tisk Prime Colony (actual name is unpronounceable)   Land / Sea Area:   58% / 42%   Continents:   3   Moons:   2 -Landeau IIIa, Landeau IIIb & 1 - Landeau IVa

   The Tisk were contacted by the cruiser ISS Adventure in 2129. They are an insectoid race, sometimes compared to a fuzzy eight legged terran ant. At the time of contact they had had limited in-system space flight for over two hundred years, but no advancement towards any interstellar travel capabilities.
   The entry of the Tisk into space was one of the major disasters for their culture. Tisk society is organized along lines similar to terran colony insects. Wars which had lasted for eons between various colonies had slowly subsided as their technology advanced. But when a series of settlements were established on Landeau IV, the old imperative to fight to control territory returned, possibly due to the long transit times between the existing colony "governments" and the new settlements.
   No one is quite sure what the arrival of an alien species meant to the Tisk. The Tisk seem to have little interest in other races or cultures. As they had no plans to expand beyond their own system, and no desire to interact with other races, the Cluster Unification Pact was of no great interest to them. In effect they agreed to the Pact in return for an Imperial promise to provide high speed transport between their two worlds, and to keep others away from them.

Batraine

Designation:    Batraine III   First Contacted:   2188 A.D.   Primary Race:   Batraine   Population:   1,822,400,000

Capital:   Candrine   Land / Sea Area:   42% / 68%   Continents:   4   Moons:   2 - Galrikk, Tralrikk

   Orginally known as El’oi World Number 3, Batraine was first visited in April of 2188. The world was scheduled for total extermination. The Grand Fleet elected not to attack the planet as planned due to the presence of the Batraine race, whose existence was unknown until the fleet arrived.
   The fleet returned in August of 2188, with ground troops. In the invasion which followed, the Batraine willingly and eagerly supported the Empire’s efforts. Despite the size of the planet, its liberation took less than three months.
   The Batraine had been subjugated about fifty years early by the El’oi. Their mid-19th century civilization (Earth equivalent) had been totally destroyed. Since then they had been worked as slaves with no thought to their well being. During that time, the indigenous population of their planet had fallen by almost 45%.
   Following liberation, the Empire established a protectorate over the race and system. The Batraine were offered, and happily accepted, the status of second-class citizens within the Starbane Empire. Efforts are currently underway to re-establish them as a functional culture and to bring them into the economic system of the Empire.

Imperial Population   ^
   The 2220 A.D. census placed the total human population of the Empire at 8,354,445,000 individuals of all ages (with a projected error of no more than ±0.0001%). The alien population of the Empire is 13,966,800,000 (although the accuracy of this number is questioned due to the total disinterest of the Tisk in actually counting their population).
   The Empire’s population continues to expand rapidly. Although the average number of children per family has dropped from the original six to five, there are no signs of a major change in this area, especially as the average life span in 2220 A.D. is well over one hundred and forty years, and also growing steadily.

Imperial Navy   ^
   The Imperial Navy is recognized as the most important of the armed services. Its ships are the primary offensive weapon, the first line of defense, and the tip of the stellar exploration effort for the Empire. Also, its bases, usually orbiting inhabited planets, form a major portion of the local defenses for the population.
   In fighting the Ei’loi Clkt, the Navy became masters of the warp field, producing numerous weapons and devices based on various warp field principles. Much of this equipment is unique to the Empire, and would come as a serious shock to the races of the main body of the galaxy should any choose to make the Empire an active enemy.
   The Imperial Navy knows that it will almost always be restricted relative to the navies of many other nations in the total number of ships for which it is able to muster crews. Therefore, the Imperial Navy has elected to build a limited number of large and powerful ships and rely on individual ship superiority ("a limited number" is relative, compared to how many ships the Navy would like to have ... they still have a large number of warships).

Imperial Army   ^
   The Imperial Army is the oldest of the armed services. Depending on the method of reckoning, its existence may be traced back almost one thousand years (or back about five hundred years if one requires that there be an actual standing professional army).
   Regardless, of the origins, the strength of the Imperial Army is greater than ever in the Empire’s history except during the El’oi War. As the total size of this service is well below what the economy is able to support, it is well equipped with the latest designs for its combat equipment.

Imperial Marines   ^
   The Imperial Marines are technically a component of the Imperial Navy, although they often prefer to forget that organizational fact. The Marines are primarily responsible for support of fleet units, security for naval forces and bases, and, most importantly, for planetary assaults. The Marines are expected to execute the initial assault on any location, to open the way for exploitation by the Imperial Army.
   As the smallest of the armed services, the Marines consider themselves to be an elite force. Their high standards for personnel and the extensive training required solidly supports this belief.

Imperial Planetary Defense Force   ^
   The Imperial Planetary Defense Force (IPDF) is the newest of the military services. It was created during the El’oi War when it became clear that warships alone could not provide an adequate defense for a planet or any other location in space.
   The IPDF mans all fixed installation on the surfaces of planets, and it maintains orbital defense units. IPDF personnel also help to man many of the larger Imperial Navy stations around inhabited planets.
   A notable feature of the IPDF is that almost half of its total personnel are in planetary Guard units. These units man local defense batteries which protect the towns and cities in which the defenders' families live. The IPDF expects that such units will fight very effectively should an attack ever occur.

Reserves   ^
   Each of the armed forces maintains a substantial Reserve component to augment it in times of war. All enlistments include a mandatory period in the Reserves following the completion of active service. Thus the Reserve forces are composed entirely of personnel who have a relatively high degree of knowledge and skill available should the Reserves be needed.
   The Reserve for each service is organized to both deploy units to ad to the numbers of active units, and to augment active duty units, bringing them up to their full wartime strengths.

Imperial Guard & Militia   ^
   The Imperial Guard And Militia is separate form of reserve force. The units in this force are controlled jointly by the Imperial armed services and the governors of the individual planets and solar systems. In peace time, these forces respond to major emergencies and local disasters in addition to training for their roles in the armed forces. In time of war, these units may be activated for Imperial service with their respective armed force.

Imperial Space Police   ^
   Many people forget that the Space Police are officially a para-military law enforcement force. Their regular duties involve the enforcement of Imperial law outside of the jurisdictions of planetary police forces, and upon minor worlds which do not have adequate indigenous police organizations. In times of conflict, the armed ship elements of the Space Police may be incorporated into the Imperial Navy.

Diplomacy   ^
   The Starbane Empire has no formal or acknowledged diplomatic contacts with any other space nation. Its very existence is effectively unknown to all of the major powers in its sector of the galaxy. The Empire is, however, well aware of the major powers, minor powers, and other nations near it.

Intelligence Gathering   ^
   The Empire has actively spied upon each of the great nations, and especially the United Federation of Planets. There it has retained secret contact since the Exodus. Families elected to remain behind and provide the Empire with information. These have received replacements and help over the years. Imperial informants have served successfully and loyally in Star Fleet since it was founded.
   Unlike the diplomatic arena, the Starbane Empire does have ongoing economic contacts within the galaxy. Unbeknownst to the various nations, the Imperial Foreign Intelligence Service (IFIS), through one of its civilian front companies, Starbane Industries, Inc. (SII), has long actively run businesses in many nations.
   To date no one in any of the nations appears to be aware of the level of infiltration achieved by the IFIS. Its most notable success is its group of starship design and construction firms;

	Federation:		Robicon Industries, Inc. (RII)
	Klingons:		Robiklingcon Industries, Inc. (RKII)
	Romulans:		Robiromcon Industries, Inc. (RRII)
	Gorn:		Robigornicon Industries, Inc. (RGII)
	Orions:		Robiorioncon Industries, Inc. (ROII)
	Tholians:		Robitholicon Industries, Inc. (RTII)

   Although created as and effort to gather information on starships, engines, and weaponry, it has become a quiet exchange of such data. To keep competitive, SII has been forced to help advance the technologies of the various nations while tapping into their development efforts.

Meetings In The Galactic Disk   ^
   The intrusion of the Starbane Empire into space controlled by the United Federation Of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Empire must result in encounters between these powers and the Starbane Empire.

United Federation of Planets
   The Federation is considered to be a potential ally of the Empire, although it is not viewed as highly dependable in such a role. The government of the Federation is generally weak willed and often far too willing to do what is expedient rather than what is right. Star Fleet, while a powerful and respected force, is the unfortunate tool of it government. In the areas of science, culture, and economics, high levels of interaction should be to the Empire's overall benefit.

Klingon Empire
   The Klingon Empire is seen as the most likely military opponent of the Empire. They have nothing of cultural, social, or scientific interest. Their reaction to the Empire is expected to be quite violent; an attitude which the Empire will probably return in kind. While the Klingon warrior tradition is something to command the Imperial military's respect, their inability to function peacefully with others is not.

Romulan Empire
   The Romulan Empire posses the greatest question to the Imperial government. Their pragmatic attitude toward foreign affairs, their realistic outlook toward the use of military force, and their quiet respect for raw power make them possibly the nation most like the Starbane Empire. However, their overwhelming paranoia make it unlikely that they will see the Empire as anything other than an opponent and a threat.

Gorn Alliance
   Contact with the Gorn is expected to be a frustrating activity for the Empire. Initially they were respected for their military traditions and independence from foreign influence. Later this changed, as their extreme xenophobic approach to all non-Gorns made it clear that economic and cultural interaction would be almost impossible. It is believed that contact with the Gorn will, for the foreseeable future, be limited to the current secret business alliance between the IFIS, ultra liberal Gorns (seeking increased alien contacts), and ultra reactionary militant Gorns (seeking advanced alien technology for their military).

Orions
   The Orions command little respect within the Imperial government or military. Their unreserved pursuit of their own self interests to the detriment of other races and even other Orions is seen as an indication that they, as a race, cannot be trusted in even the slightest detail. It is expected that they will be held at an economic arm's length, and their access to Imperial space will be extremely limited.

Significant Events In Starbane History   ^

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