Hoshiko Cluster

Main: Farside Station

NGC-8481, commonly referred to as the Hoshiko Cluster (after discoverer Komori Hoshiko, c. 2082), is an embedded micro star cluster comprised of five gravitationally bound companion stars located within the Halcón Nebula, 32 light-years (2,023,711 AU) from Earth. All the stars of the cluster have numerous planets, moons and some asteroid belts. The gas giant planets also have numerous moons, many of which are planet sized.

History

The 2080 Space Race

Following the successful live tests of the first functional reactionless drive engine--developed by Gail Hywel in 2071, the “Hywel Engine”--there quickly evolved a global competition between the most elite nations of Earth to become the first to colonize a new world.

Echoing back to the age of the Cold War Space Race of the 1950-70’s, each competing nation grew ever more ruthless and determined to win, regardless of the costs, means or methods. There arose a new age of nationalism, fanned to a high flame by extensive propaganda programs initiated by the various governments. Espionage of space technology, sabotage of foreign space production, kidnapping of key scientists and technicians, hoarding of critical resources, purchasing second-hand components, etc. all became common practices.

By the close of decade, there were seven primary contestants in the 2080 Space Race (ranked):

1. United States of American (USA)
2. People’s Republic of China (PRC)
3. European Union (EU)
4. Latino Consortium (LC) - Brazil, Mexico and several other Central American countries.
5. Russian Federation (RF)
6. Arabian Union (AU)
7. Republic of India (RI)

On March 10th, 2086, the USA succeeded in becoming the first nation to construct an exploration & colonization ship. On June 3rd, 2086, the ship christened the Sam Walton, launched on a11.8-light-year journey to the Tau Ceti system.

Then, just four months later, on October 12th, 2086, a Japanese astronomer named Komori Hoshiko discovered a cluster of stars in the Halcón Nebula. Using the most advanced astronomical scanning tech, other scientist were quickly able to identify a large quantity of Earthlike planets in the cluster. Practically overnight, the Hoshiko Cluster became the prime target for exploration and colonization.

Over the next fifteen month, all the other nations succeeded in completing and launching their ships, each pointed toward the Hoshiko Cluster, approx. 32 light-years (2,023,711 AU) from Earth. Maintaining a constant acceleration of 0.5G until reaching a maximum speed of about 99.99% light-speed in about 1.937 years, followed by about 30.064 years of coasting before another 1.937 years of deceleration, the first ship reach the Hoshiko Cluster after 33 years, 342 days, 7 hours and 14 minutes.

The Latino Consortium ship La Santa María departed Earth on January 7th, 2087 and on December 23rd, 2120, was the first to reach the Hoshiko Cluster. During the greatest Christmas Eve celebration of the 22nd century, the captain of the ship proclaimed: “¡Bienvenidos al nuevo mundo!” - welcome to the new world.

As the first to arrive, the LC had first choice of a new world to claim, and ultimately decided on the binary worlds of San Dión and Tío Verde in the Latón system.

Next to arrive was the European Union ship Brave Venture. In the final months leading up to their departure from Earth, tensions between the union states rose to the highest levels since the days of World War II. During the chaos, England staged the coup of the century and succeeded in taking full control of the ship just before the scheduled launch. Instead of the originally planned mixed European crew, over 95% of the colonists were English. When they arrived, they set their sights on the Dorado system and claimed for themselves four earthlike planet-sized moons in orbit around the large gas giant planet they called New Britannia. Harkening back to the colonial days of several centuries ago, the English quickly established colonies on the worlds of Brunel, Churchill, Darwin and Diana.

The People’s Republic of China ship 星王朝 [Xīng wángcháo] (Dynasty of the Stars) was the third ship to reach the Hoshiko Cluster. They established their colony in the Bronceado system, on the rainy world of 上海二 [Shànghǎi Èr] (“Shanghai 2”). A small percentage of the crew was comprised of Japanese scientists and technicians.

Next to arrive was the نعمة من الله [Nama-lān Allah] (“Grace of Allah”) of the Arabian Union. However, their arrival was anything but victorious. Their transit had been plagued by numerous technical breakdowns. Ironically, the final malfunction resulted in the ship crash landing on the desert world of the La Forja system, which would become their new home, صحراء عالم [as-Sahrā a'lam] (“The Desert World”).

Last to successfully arrive was the Russian Federation ship завоевание [zavoyevaniye] (“Conquest”). Unprepared to begin any territorial battles, they were left with the only unclaimed planet, a frigid world in the El Ascua system which they named Новая Сибирь [Novaya Sibir'] (“New Siberia”).

The Republic of India ship, आस्था और एक प्रार्थना [Āsthā aura ēka prārthanā] (“Faith and a Prayer”), got lost in transit, likely destroyed, and was never heard from again following their last report just 3 years 7 months into their journey.

Colonization & Territory Wars

The first hundred years following the initial arrival of the colonization ships to the Hoshiko Cluster was a time of frenzied construction and relative peace, as each colony struggled to establish and expand upon the tentative foundations laid on arrival. For the most part, each colony was as isolated from each other as they were from the homeworld of Earth. Space travel, and trade, was none existent, even within the near-earth-orbits of the colony worlds. The populations, economy and industrial capabilities of the colonies had to grow to a significant level to support space flight. Initially, there wasn’t even the need, due to the overabundance of unclaimed land and resources on the new worlds.

However, by the year 2251, a new phase in interstellar expansion within the Hoshiko Cluster began as the first space ships were constructed and placed into service. Although the capital worlds were still sparsely populated, there grew an urgency by the separate nations to expand outward and claim new worlds for future growth, especially to insure they made their claim before any of the others. In 2266, the colony established on Tío Verde in the Latón system was the first to be established beyond the capital worlds, followed closely by Diana in the Dorado system in 2282.

Not until the Paddock & Seaton British Naval Expedition of 2587, did any of the nations send ships beyond the borders of their own star system to begin exploring and claiming territory. Historically, the Britons were the most aggressive and expansionist explorers of the 26th century. By 2595 and 2599, the freeports of West Point Station and East Point Station were constructed at the halfway points between the Bronceado and Latón systems, officially establishing the primary trade routes.

During this time of expansion, there were minor conflict, but the first official battle of territory wars didn’t occur until March 21st, 2604, when Brits attempted establish a claim to the planet of Atontado in the Latón system. Latonnia contested that they had already laid claim to this world and they denounced Britannia for even attempting such a claim in the Latón system. The Armada Espacial engaged the British exploration ship, destroying the ship and everyone aboard.

From 2604 onward, numerous territorial battles have occurred throughout the Hoshiko Cluster. By far, Britannia has continued to be the most aggressive and has maintained an attitude of superiority over the other five nations.

Geography

La Nube (“The Cloud”), located at the center of the cluster is a thickening of the nebula (dust, gases, ice and small rocks) forming a dense cloud (micro nebula) approximately 12.3508 AU in diameter. Travel within this cloud is especially hazardous due to the limited range of vision and extreme interference on scanners. Although some exploration has been made of the outermost edges, none who have travelled deep within the cloud have ever been seen again.

El Cinturón de la Nube, ringing La Nube, at 9.2631 AU, is a very large, very dense, asteroid belt, measuring nearly 1 AU in width/height. The highly valuable resources of this belt have drawn numerous independent, or small business, mining companies hoping to find their fortunes. The numerous miners have drawn numerous bandits hoping to take their fortunes.

Core Systems the three stars of the cluster have aligned into a triangle centered around La Nube, orbiting at about 24.5 AU: Bronceado, Dorado and Latón.

Core Stations, located at the three L-points (60-degrees along the orbital paths of the three core systems) there are large space stations, constructed and controlled by Britannia. Each station serves as a base of operations for local patrols, as well as a way-point and trade market for merchant traffic. The station clockwise of Dorado is known as East Point Station. The one counterclockwise is known as West Point Station. The third, on the opposite side of La Nube, is called Farside Station.

Fringe Systems, orbiting La Nube at a distance of 62.4481 AU, is the star La Forja and its small companion star El Ascua.

Bronceado (“bronzen”), is a G2 V 'yellow' main-sequence star with a system of nine planets and an asteroid belt. The habitable planet named Shànghǎi Èr was colonized by the Chinese from the ship Xīng wángcháo.

Dorado (“golden”), is a G4 IV 'yellow subgiant' star with a system of nine planets and an asteroid belt. The gas giant planet called Britannia has four habitable moons--Brunel, Churchill, Darwin & Diana--which were colonized by the Europeans from the ship Brave Venture.

El Ascua (“The Ember”), is a M2 V 'red dwarf' star with a system of eight planets, including the habitable world of Novaya Sibir' which was colonized by the Russians from the ship Zavoyevaniye.

La Forja (“The Forge”), is a K0 V 'orange' star with a system of seven planets and the companions star El Ascua. The habitable planet of as-Sahrā a'lam was colonized by the Arabians from the ship Nama-lān Allah.

Latón (“brass”), is a G0 V 'yellow' star with a system of nine planets. The habitable, binary planets of San Dión and Tío Verde have been colonized by the Brazilian-Mexican people from the ship La Santa María.

People of the Cluster

Of the colonists that left Earth to travel to the Hoshiko Cluster, there are only a handful of ethnicity that have survived to the current day. Although there is a small percentage of multiethnic couplings, especially common in the frontier outposts, most have reverted back to an old-world belief that intermingling is an undesirable behavior. Further, the ongoing conflicts between the five nations has widened ethnic divisions, aligning them closely along nationalistic boundaries.

• Arabi
• Britain
  • English
  • German (minority)
  • Irish (minority)
• Latón
  • Brazilian
  • Mexican
• Russkiy
• Shēn
  • Han Chinese
  • Japanese (minority)

Ethnic diversity is only commonly found within the largest spaceports or in the frontier outside the control and influence of the central governments. Any individual living on a colonized world in which they are not a member of the dominant ethnicity will be treated as a second-class citizen. Further, there are a few minority races that are typically treated little better than slaves.

Languages: Arabic, English, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Due to the prevalence of British trade vessels traveling through the Cluster, English has become the default trade-language. For this reason, most people, regardless of their ethnicity, are likely to speak some English, even if only at a broken level. The Japanese is a carefully guarded language, only used in the technology field and only by those specially selected and trained in technology skills; most Japanese cannot speak Japanese. German is a “gutter” language only spoken in German communities or within Garman anti-British organizations.

Subspecies
There are some other members of society that are generally classified as “non-human” subspecies. Anyone of this classification is treated as subjugated. These individuals have no civil/legal rights, cannot own property and are generally killed on site for any violations of the law.

• Uplifted Beasts: chimpanzee, gorilla, or dolphins
• Cyborgs (20% or more CP spent on cybernetics)
• Androids, droids, robots
• Bioengineered humans (biogens, super humans)
• Mutant humans (biogen rejects)
• Indentured Servants (slaves)