BARD PAPER: OPAL8681

| Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |

---

Galines

B767987-9 (1200)

by Liam Devlin

Precollapse Data

As an Earth like planet (both in atmosphere & hydrosphere) the effects of the economic contraction of the Hard Times (1124-1130) were minimal. Tech loss fell to TL-13, and its Starport declined to C-class in 1125, and sustained the Imperial Naval Base adding only one more corporation to the mix, Transstar, of the Confederation. (Research shows the Solomani occupied Galiano until the end of the War & onset of Virus, despite maps showing world in "Wilds" zoning). Only the Imperial Navy & Imperial Nobility had fled.

For maintaining the Solomani fleets, and protection of their system, they were granted self-autonomous control of the planet. The old representational democracy government had evolved into a feudal technocracy, ensuring jobs, stability, and order. The peace treaty between the Federation of Daibei, Margaret's Domain, and the Solomani signifying the end of hostilities, was signed here on Galiano for the Old Expanses (1129-30). Virus' arrival made the peace short lived, however.

The Collapse (1130-31)

The balkanization rating on Galines, (as they renamed themselves) of today, comes not so much on a national sense country-ethnic wise, but along corporate & technological lines, as well as system world occupation. Galines still has her (now) C-class orbital port, as well as several ground based C-ports, for example, one owned by each of the starship manufacturers, GsBAG, Ling Standard Products, & General Products. The orbital Starport is owned & operated by the merger of Tukera Lines & Transstar, descended from its regional managers, Brion Tukera & Alistassja Hapsburg into Tukera-Hapsburg Lines, or TKHL, LIC. They are the most powerful corporation today, and dictate policy to the rest as to where trade off planet will go. These two Mega corps, coupled with the remnants of Hortalez et Cie, LIC, which arrived with a substantial multi-trillion credit cash deposit on this once-future "Hub-Interface" between Margaret & the Confederation, are the controlling powerhouses, much like the Terran Zaibatsu Combines of Pre WW II Japan. H.e. C. with its large cash deposit in the initial Virus wave stood alone in calm as local planetary banks failed as electronic accounts vanished and the run on the banks occurred. When the smoke cleared, they stood alone as the sole banking-Investment institute in 1134 on the planet. Their merger with longtime partner Tukera Lines assured the world's populace that This Virus thing was a "horrible, but not long lasting emergency". The Feudal Technarches soon were sorted out alliance wise in this "New-world Order". Today, the Megacorps resemble states in areas of commerce & manufacturing. Trade & Prosperity would survive if there were markets, and the markets were on other worlds! The period of 1136-1180's saw some exploratory efforts, as well as retaking their system and expansion of their gas giant mining operations (Ling-Sternmetal General Products, LIC or LSGP, LIC).

By the mid 1140's the Totalitarian Oligarchs of Galines began to reconnect commercially to the adjacent worlds, including Thanatos, Kunni, Indigo, Czerniak, and Walager, while creating "way station" Starports on the abandoned/evacuated worlds of Skerry & Krag to support this new trade route. Due to the three-dozen surviving Tukera 3kton J-4 liners needing C-class Starports (orbital) for usage (they are an USL design), the Combined Corps of Galines decided on a "commercial conquest" campaign. They envisioned a J-4 webbed by C-port class worlds open (and later, "opened for", like it or not) to interstellar trade. The remaining larger vessels, such as their half dozen relic Imperial Bulk 20kton freighters could work the J-3 routes. Large modules could be jumped out into the stellar gaps to form refueling stations for the J-1 bulk freighters (the ubiquitous 400 dton LSP IDP Subsidized Liners & Morraine class 200 dton Free Trader ships) that they, and what few Free Traders still plied the region, also had in plentitude.

Kunni's balkanized seven Representational governments of their 8 million citizens balked at the idea, but faced with a need to maintain their economies, several of the major countries were persuaded to open up to trade food stuffs & mineral rights for farm machinery (combines, tractors, disking equipment, harvesters, Water purification/irrigation systems, etc) and electronics (TV's, radios, improved radar systems for Air-defense, etc) in 1144-48, in return for having both a groundside & Orbital C-class port built, maintained by Galinian techs, with local hired help in the food & entertainment industries. As trade had occurred traditionally with Galines prior to the war, Kunnites found it easier to accept the effort rather than resist, though the other countries have only boast D & E-class ports.

Thanatos' s participatory government core ward of Galines, with an existent C-class port & eight million sentients, had suffered only minor tech loss, and had maintained the same government despite law level dropping to 0. Open to free traders and interstellar Trade, they were agreeable to re-contact & enjoyed being able to ship their asteroid mined refined products out for foodstuffs. They voted to join the "Democratic Accord of Galines"(DAG) as well, in this same period, and have since, as the first C-port world to join up, returned to their former Tech level of 9. Though the Thanatosian Belters & Gas Giant miners are sure to drive hard bargains with Ling-Sternmetal.

Czerniak's Precollapse B-class Starport survived, as did its Scout base. They too benefit from the J-4 route triangle between Thanatos-Galines & themselves. A Mystic Autocracy governs Czerniak's 19 billion citizens, the former psionic institute, save their control is invisible as well. Czerniak entered into the DAG after much debate, but are an "equal controlling member" of Technology in the chain of commerce. They too are Balkanized along Corporate lines, but with greater diversification (without the huge Collapse mergers Galines experienced.)

Walager was contacted by both Czerniak & Galines for the same reasons, Trade for her Ag products. Walager's Civil Service Bureaucracies, governing her balkanized low-tech (TL-2) countries & five million sentient citizens (20% or 1 million are Droyne) were extremely xenophobic to contact. Galines failed & Czerniak succeeded, raising the technophobic former TL-B world back to a modest TL-5. Due to the sentiments of the populations, only a D-class starport groundside has been built. Walager is considered a member of the DAG, but is treated as a Protectorate/Client state (its still balkanized), as of 1200, NE.

Indigo's TED was contacted and "made an offer he couldn't refuse". His TL-6 world, isolated from the outside of the rest of the subsector by J-2 access, had severely declined (fallen from TL-E). His twenty million subjects labored under his restrictive law level 8 (though not as high as Walager's A), he at first rejected opening up in 1148. The Vermene were sent in to scout out his markets, and rising middle class mercantile interests in the 1150's. He was assassinated by rivals sponsored by the Vermene/TKHL in 1160, and it was announced the following day by the coup beneficiaries that The world would re-open to the DAG trade fleets as soon as the new Starports (High & downside) were rebuilt). LSGP & TKHL, LIC moved in at once, establishing an initial D-class port, for the J-2 trade, and began hiring out Belters from Thanatos to work the two rich but abandoned belts in system. The planet's TL-6 wares and goods are shipped to TL-5 worlds in the DAG accordingly. Formaly made a member state of DAG in 1180 after the orbital C-class port was finished.

Skerry's feeder C-port was begun in 1160's, and despite setbacks and vampire raids, was completed in the mid 1190's (C-334214-9), with aide from Solee.

Krag's feeder port is only D-class, but has a substantial Salvager operation ongoing for the TL-10 relic machinery there. Construction began in 1148; it was completed in 1156 (D-737317-9), with salvagers out of Thanatos. This was the first boneyard world opened by the DAG.

Relationship with the Soleean Star Empire

In the New Era

Government Details

TKHL, LIC

(Transstar-Tukera Lines-Hortalez merger) These Techno Oligarchs have the monopoly on starship maintenance & own all of the starports. All trade outsystem and insystem moves on their vessels, and its irksome that LGSP's mining refining vessels are not included in that sphere of commerce. Has enforced the Ban on private ownership of Starships(even though the threat of Virus has diminished immensely).

LSGP, LIC

(Ling Standard Products-General Products-Sternmetal Horizons merger, now called Ling Sternmetal General Products) These Techno Oligarchs have the monopoly on large (400+dtons) starship/ spaceship production, as well as all other vehicle manufacturing, consequently they own all the production plants/Shipyards, as well as power plant manufacturing. All insystem mining is also under their domain, though trouble with Thanatos' old LSP independent "colony" is a source of concern.

SuSAG, LIC

(Schunamann und Sohn AG- Sternmetal Horizons bioweapons division merger) Has the sole monopoly on medicinal research and drugs. Bought out Sternmetal's bioweapons division (cloning) facilities.

DGsbAG, LIC

(Delgado-GsBAG merger) The media giant, in communications, virus-proof software & Systems, specializing in small starships(100-300dtons)/Spacecraft (10-400dtons), is also a main ally of SuSAG in the field of nanotechnology, as it applies to the medical field.

Instellarms, LIC

(Instellarms has sole monopoly on weapons for air-sea-land & space vehicles on Galines, including Starship's missiles). Gets its radioactives from LSGP's mining concerns. Also deals in the Weapons trade throughout the DAG and now SSE worlds, selling the next highest TL of Small-arms weapons to client worlds "Military Governors"( Soleean approved TEDs) (ie, Kata- Selling TL-7 weapons one level above its TL-6. Buys and resells older weapon systems to lower tech worlds as well. Then buys Kata TL-6 systems, sells them to TL-5 worlds' military forces). Due to its power and influence, it has oversight on the military preparedness of the system.

Armed forces