Trexalon (world)
--207.5.155.45 14:00, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
| Trexalon/District 268 (Spinward Marches 1339) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic Era (1116) | B361851-C
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| See also | UWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Trexalon/District 268/Spinward Marches 1339
Non-Canon
History
Trexalon is the bitterly-cold moon of a gas giant orbiting the system’s red dwarf star. Surface temperatures average -200 Celsius! Thus, although the atmosphere is a standard, breathable oxygen-nitrogen mix, the inhabitants live either underground or in domed cities, and can only visit the surface in fully-enclosed and artificially-heated extreme cold weather protective gear and vehicles. Surface water is rare, exists only in a solid state, and can be found in quantity only in several large ice caps near the South Pole. There are, however, large subsurface water deposits, some of which are in a liquid state thanks to the planet’s molten core. Not surprisingly, there are no indigenous fauna apart from some extremely hardy bacteria and several lichen-like species of flora that manage to survive on Trexalon’s surface.
Given the harshness of its environment, Trexalon would certainly never have been colonized had it not been for the rich mineral ore and crystal deposits discovered by an IISS survey in 502. Within twenty standard years, half a dozen mining companies had staked claim to virtually the entire lunar surface. Within two centuries, the population had grown to more than 50 Million sophonts who began to chafe under the rule of the Trexalon Technical Consortium (TTC) - a corporate trust founded in 585 by pooling the stock of the six mining firms. The TTC wisely decided that it no longer wanted the burden of performing civil government functions, and sold off Trexalon’s domed cities (home to most of the population) and huge swaths of surrounding terrain at nominal prices. However, the TTC preserved its virtual monopoly over the mining, industrial, and interstellar trade sectors of Trexalon’s economy (it owns all of the system’s starports) and retained ownership of nearly a third of the lunar surface - with exclusive mineral exploitation rights to the rest in perpetuity.
Each of Trexalon’s seven major cities (and large surrounding territories) was purchased from the TTC by a syndicate made up of the wealthiest local residents. Since these “proprietors” collectively owned the entire territory of the seven ‘city states’ they saw no need to consult with the rest of the populace when it came to governing their “property”. Over the past four centuries, they have evolved into a hereditary nobility that monopolizes both political power and control of all major businesses (except for those owned by the TTC). Frequent intermarriages have merged the nobility of various cities into a single, cohesive class that spans all of Trexalon and is characterized by a uniformly conservative outlook and commitment to preserving itself in power.
Trexalon’s governmental system is not without its benefits, however, for the non-elite, who enjoy free public services and utilities (health, education, transport, power, water, air, etc.) without having to pay any taxes. The city states receive most of their funding through profit-sharing and royalty payments from the TTC. Most average citizens are, therefore, generally content with their government and its cozy, dependent relationship with the TTC. This is helped by the fact that Trexalonian society as a whole is notably conservative and resistant to change.
Trexalon has a booming economy based on mineral extraction and processing, and durable goods manufacturing. Certain high-tech items and most of the system’s agricultural products must be imported (the latter from the Agworld Combine), but Trexalon is otherwise self-sufficient. All large-scale mining operations and industrial plants are owned by the TTC, which employs nearly three-quarters of the system’s working population.
Since Trexalon has no true world government, the TTC effectively controls its extrastellar relations. The TTC has also been contracted by Trexalon’s city states to defend them against extrastellar military threats, and has assembled a small but potent fleet of locally-produced system defense boats and warships of up to cruiser size purchased from the Sword Worlds. The TTC’s foreign policy is vociferously anti-Imperial, because it views the Imperium’s growing influence in District268 as the principal obstacle to its own expansionist ambitions in the subsector. The TTC has accordingly developed close economic and military relationships with the Swords Worlds, which share its dislike for the Imperium.
On the other hand, the TTC is implacably hostile toward pro-Imperial Collace, which is its chief rival for leadership in the subsector. Indeed, the TTC has, on several occasions, darkly threatened unspecified "consequences" if Collace carries through with its plans to seek admission to the Imperium. The TTC and Collace are presently in a state of “cold war”, competing for economic and diplomatic advantage throughout District 268 even as they build up their military forces. There are suspicions, but no real proof, that a recent upsurge in corsair raids on trade to and from Collace has been instigated by the TTC.
One of the key points of contention between Collace and Trexalon is Pavabid (Spinward Marches 1238), which lies directly between them just one parsec away. Ever since iridium was discovered on Pavabid in 1093, the TTC and Collace have been competing for influence with the ruling religious dictatorship in order to secure mineral exploitation rights. To date, however, the xenophobic offshoot of the Church of the Stellar Divinity on Pavabid has rejected both parties’ advances due to fears that allowing large numbers of off-world miners would pollute its pure theocratic society. Collace’s bid to exploit Pavabid’s mineral bounty is supported by the Imperium, which is concerned that most of the iridium would find its way to the Sword Worlds if Trexalon were to win the mining franchise.
It is widely believed that the TTC turns a blind eye to the activities of corsairs that prey on the Imperial shipping which passes through District 268 on its way between the Glisten and Five Sisters subsectors. Rumor has it that few questions are asked by the local authorities when corsairs visit Trexalon to sell their booty, replenish their fuel and supplies, recruit new crewmembers, or take advantage of the systems high quality ship repair facilities. The Trexalon system also draws corsairs because of its astrographic circumstances, which offer easy J-2 access to no fewer than 20 systems stretching from the Asteltine group rimward through District 268 into the Outrim Void.
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- ↑ "Jump Map API" and map location from Travellermap.com