The Near Bootean Commonwealth

The Near Bootean Commonwealth

By: Michael Bailey [email removed]

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The Near Bootean Commonwealth is a pocket empire in the Solomani Rim sector, within the former Solomani Confederation. The commonwealth ocupies the Near Bootes cluster, a grouping of nine habitable worlds in the Capella and Gemini subsectors.

Early History:

The Near Bootes cluster was discovered by survey vessels from the Terran Confederation around -2390. The survey ships reported this inviting cluster to Confederation officials, but at the time the Terran's attention was firmly focused on the war against the Vilani.

As the Terrans learned the full extent of the Vilani Ziru Siirka, they feared being overrun by the enemy (fortunately for them, the Vilani didn't really take the Terrans seriously untill after the 8th Interstellar War). The Naval Staff authorised an expedition to colonise the cluster as a final refuge should Terra be overrun. Units from the Confederal Navy established bases on Aquitaine and Saxe, manned by a skeleton staff.

After Admiral Albadawi's victory over the Vilani in the 8th Interstellar War, the Confederation was able to go on the offensive. The bases on Aquitine and Saxe were abandoned, although equipment, stores and facilities were left mothballed for future use.

After the Terran Confederation's defeat of the Vilani in -2219, settlement of the cluster began in earnest. Although most of Terra's attention was focused on absorbing the Ziru Siirka, the cluster was simply too inviting to pass up. Throughout the time of the Rule of Man, the cluster was something of a backwater, a district on the Second Imperium's rimward frontier settled by those who had no use for the highly structured society of the interior.

This frontier was effectively cut off from the outside universe with the onset of the Long Night. With no high tech goods coming in from outside, the cluster was forced to rely on it's own resources to halt the slide towards barbarism. The old stores were unearthed, and although they were centuries out of date, they were better than anything the worlds of the cluster could mnufacture for themselves. Regular trade between the worlds resumed around -1400, although no political union ever developed. A rather loose agreement of mutual assistance was signed but this was rarely called upon - there were few raiders this far from the core provinces. Some contact was maintained with the Old Earth Union and Dingir League.

By the time Cleon I founded the Third Imperium, the population of the cluster had grown to almost 12 billion, and the worlds had a large and sophisticated industrial base. Colony expeditions were launched into the uncharted space rimward of the cluster - it was a Hamilcaran expedition that discovered and first settled Home (then known as Amansay).

The worlds of the cluster were incorporated into the Imperium from 591 to 600, as a mercantile and industrial centre the Near Bootes cluster was now a rival for Terran and Dingiri interests. Bootean leaders had a good deal of influence over the Solomani movement, and were a powerful force in the Solomani Confederation when it was proclaimed in 704.

Bootean prosperity was shattered by the Solomani Rim War. In the 12 years from 990-1002, the clusters economy was badly damaged by the strain of the war effort. Prolonged recession followed the end of the war, it was not until the late 1040's that cross-border trade brought prosperity back to the cluster. Consequently, Bootean mercantile interests were very much in favour of the thaw in relations between the Imperium and the Solomani Confederation from the 1070's.

The Rebellion changed things yet again. Caught up in the tide of Solomani fervour that greated the news of the troubles in the Imperium, the people of the Near Bootes cluster were as vocal as any in the Confederation in their support for the invasion of 1117. As the war dragged on, however, support began to wane. Although the surge of activity that followed the initial invasion helped make up for the loss of Imperial trade, by 1126 the Bootean economy was once again showing signs of strain.

The Solomani Confederation itself began to unravel from 1129. An increasing number of the remaining fleet elements were needed to put down rebellions and secessions by member worlds. The cluster followed this trend, and formally announced it's secession from the Solomani Confederation on 036-1131.

Within two weeks, the Virus hit the new-born Bootean Consensus...

The Collapse and After:

Virus reached the worlds of the Near Bootes cluster in 1131. It's effects were as devastating as they were unexpected. Within sixe weeks, the cities and industrial centres of the cluster were in ruins. By the end of 1131, the death toll had reached almost 2 billion. Yet somehow, the cluster managed to halt the slide towards barbarism.

Much can be attributed to the actions of the short-lived Bootes Consensus. In the lead up to it's secession from the Solomani Confederation, it's leaders had stored large quantities of food, supplies and medicines against an expected invasion by the Confederation. It was these caches that allowed the worlds to survive that first dreadful year.

At the beginning of 1132, the worlds were isolated as the last working starships were destroyed by the Virus. On Saxe, the Solomani Party was able to regain power, and kept control by brutally suppressing any dissension. On other worlds, such as Aquitaine, central authority broke down and the planets were divided into squabbling nation-states. Still, the invasion caches at least allowed food to be planted. As the Virus died back, there was still barely enough food to feed those who remained alive.

On Vantage however, things were different. A water world, Vantage's atmosphere was too thick to breathe at sea level. One by one, Vantage's floating cities plummeted to destruction. Every one of Vantage's 640 million inhabitants died, and the world was left silent, empty and ruined.

The Solomani government on Saxe had to deal with a series of anti-technology riots in 1134. The final death toll may never be known, but it is believed that as mny as 50,000 were killed in the attempt to restore order. Saxe was polarised into Solomani and anti-Solomani factions, and Solomani Security was kept busy for years to come.

The first real glimmer of hope appeared on Aquitaine in 1137. Researchers at the University of Aquitaine (Demesne campus) uncovered a cache of information and technology hidden in catacombs underneath the university buildings. Further research discovered the reason for the cache: it had been stored away at the orders of President Gail Hollandia in -1220, as insurance against a repeat of the Long Night. Hollandia, dead over 24 centuries, became a hero on Aquitaine and the Hollandia Collection was the seed from which the Near Bootes Commonwealth sprang. The nation of Medoc, which by now was relying on steam power and primitive petrochemical engines to bring in the harvest, began the long road to recovery. In time, Medoc would dominate the planet and lead Aquitaine back to the stars.

By 1152, aircraft and radio communication had been restored to Aquitaine. Medoc was able to use it's powerful position to convence the Estates de Aquitaine, restoring some sense of unity to this balkanised world.

Other worlds were not so fortunate. Although Sequoyah had also managed to find hidden 'doomsday caches', it was ravaged by a vampire fleet in 1146. The fleet stayed in-system for a week, and in that time nuked Sequoyah back to the Iron Age. The recovery here was doomed, and Sequoyah was left a legacy of xenophobia, technophobia and isolationism.

On Saxe, the government was able to salvaged some spacecraft, and reopen mining operations on the worlds two moons. Here, however, the increasingly repressive government was, to all intents and purposes, a technologically elevated dicatorship.

The Jerusalem Project

In 1157, the Estates de Aquitaine launched the Jerusalem Project - an all-out planetary effort to regain jump technology and reopen the pathways to the stars. The project consumed a large proportion of the nations intellectual assets, and even with the aid of the Hollandia caches, it still took two dozen years before the project finally began to bear fruit.

In 1181, after three failures that cost dozens of lives and raised storms of controversy on Aquitaine, the 'Jean d'Arc' made a succesful microjump of some 10 astronomical units. The 'Jean d'Arc', a modified Solomani Scout ship with a new (although primitive) jump drive, made it's first interstellar jump later that year, to Vyborg. The road to the stars was open again.

Recontact

>From 1181 to 1186 the 'Jean d'Arc' and it's two sister ships, the 'Fraternitie' and the 'Gail Hollandia' recontacted all the habitable worlds in the cluster. Aid teams distributed technology to the recontacted worlds, and were soon followed by corporate reps seeking to rebuild industrial and resource concerns on the fallen worlds. With the exception of Sequoyah, all worlds were eager to rebuild their technological base.

This period of peaceful reconstruction could not last. Even as the worlds of the cluster were mastering the technology given to them by the Aquitaine, the Solomani Party on Saxe was making plans to re-assert Party dominance over the region. In 1189, the Saxe government claimed sovreignty over the cluster, as 'the only surviving legitimate Solomani government in the cluster'. The claim was pointedly ignored, but tensions between Saxe (the most heavily populated world in the cluster) and the other systems began to rise.

Conflict

The Trondheim Incident brought these tension to the brink of open warfare. In 1192, a Saxean system defense boat (believed to be the 'Manfred Gotha') fired upon and destroyed the Trondheim, a 600t merchantman from Aegir. Although no-one was killed, Aegir responded by cutting off relations with Saxe. Aquitaine and Vyborg followed suit, and cemented their alliance by signing a pact of mutual assistance late in the year. Both camps prepared for war, while the other worlds looked on nervously.

It was almost a miracle that war was averted. Junior officers within the Saxean army and navy, resentful of Party interference in the affairs of the military, had been plotting a coup from as early as 1185. They were joined by a group of senior generals in 1192, and quickly revised their plans. The coup was launched on the first day of 1193, and was surprisingly successful. The Solomani Party leaders were arrested and a military administration was installed. Fighting between military and SolSec forces continued in some centres for a week, but within two weeks the General Staff was firmly in control of the planet. Solomani extremeists went underground, and began a war of guerilla and terrorist tactics that continues to this day.

The Birth of the Commonwealth

Later in the year, the pact between Aegir, Vyborg and Aquitaine was cemented as the Treaty of Vantage. Teucer and Baraka also joined, as the treaty members began setting up a free trade area and preparing to jointly administer some governmental functions. In 1196, as Aquitaine scientists tested their first jump-2 drive, Hamilcar and Aristotle joined the Treaty.

The Vantage Treaty Organisation was overhauled in 1197, as the remaining worlds of the cluster (including Saxe) applied for membership. In this year, the VTO became the Commonwealth of the Near Bootes and Associated Worlds (more commonly known as the Near Bootes Commonwealth). The Commonwealth was to be somewhat more centralised than the VTO, with a Commonwealth General Staff co-ordinating the actions of the individual planetary forces.

Capital and governmental buildings were constructed in the city of Demesne (capital of Medoc on Aquitaine).

Recent History

Although there has been some disagreement between member worlds on policies and priorities, on the whole the Commonwealth has been a success in it's first three years of existence. In 1198, following a joint naval action against a vampire fleet in the Dirac system, the General Staff formed the core of the Commonwealth Defense Force. Although the force is still made up of the forces of inividual worlds, it has somewhat greater control over those forces.

The Commonwealth Expeditionary Force was formed as part of the CDF. It's role is that of recontact and rediscovery - rolling back the black curtains of barbarism that surround the Commonwealth. Although it's operations are low key, and take place under a fairly restricted budget, the CEF is making progress in this role.

Also in 1198, the first privately-owned shipyards opened on Aquitaine. They have been since followed by yards on Saxe and Aristotle. While starships are still hideously expensive, for the first time they are no longer exclusively controlled by the governments.

Now, in 1200, the stage is set for a new expansion into the Wilds...

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Michael Bailey, Police Dept. of Western Australia: [email removed]

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