Duchy of St. Foy
St. Foy/Liberty Hall (The Beyond 0902 C865650-9)
Originally called Thieves' World, the planet was settled by corsairs in 678. The starport of Resef was nuked during Die Weltbund's expansion into the Liberty Hall subsector in 757.
History
In 803, 342 Psi's and their dependants fleeing the Imperial Psionics Suppressions settled it in 803 under Dr. Nicholai St. Foy. Finding a secluded box canyon sensor protected by natural, but harmless radiation, the refugees founded the town of Sanctuary (later Port Nicholai). Raiding from this base and making contact with other corsairs, Dr. St. Foy was able to build a class D starport. In 813, he took the title of Duke of St. Foy, making his corsair captains barons.
Under his successor Trevil, the canyon walls were first bored into creating underground sanctuaries & fortifications. Under Duchess Jacquetta, the St. Foy Psionic Institute became of the Beyond's greatest clandestine psi training center. During Duke Mazdakh's reign came the first conflict with Die Weltbund, resulting in the nuking of the original settlement of Resef (now known as Cursewell) due to the inability of the Weltbund navy to find the real starport.
In 1001, Port Nicholai was upgraded to a class B starport. Also at that time a shipyard was established in the asteroid belt to build SDB's as the current Duchess Reisca upscaled corsair operations. The status quo was maintained until the reign of Reisca II, when the Imperium, trying to open up Die Weltbund trade routes officially recognized St. Foy as a legitimate system government. The Zhodani Consulate also became interested at the same time opening a residency in 1060.
In 1090, war flared between St. Foy & Die Weltbund. The climatic battle was the Battle of the Asteroids where St. Foy forces assisted by independents and vessels of Dark Goddesses & Webrunners decisively beat the battlefleet of Admiral Gerd Schussel, losing a battleship, a cruiser, 3 destroyers, 11 escorts, with 6 escorts, 1 destroyer, & a light carrier captured. Resca was killed when she rammed her planetary monitor into the battleship Werther von Braun.
The current duke, Resca's son Nicholai II has doubled the size of the fleet & is constructing a shipyard on St. Foy's moon, Avery. He is also lobbying the Comsentient Alliance for entry in to the alliance as a member state.
Armed Forces
The system is well guarded by ducal forces 6 fighter tenders(Armida I, Fahrent, Kaz Irhean, Mann Ghert, Vhikil Welk, Trehil), a destroyer Weltbund's Gift, 18 SDB's( Gas Attack, Ghost, Arbiter, Growler, Pirate's Surprise, Weltbane, Bouncer II, Asteroid Raider, Ironheart, Neit's Revenge, Flitterby II, Mas, Wey Frost, The Blip, Anklebiter, Ref Stolt, Mackin Jukert, & Sgt. T Ys),, & 2 planetary monitors built from iron asteroids, Nicholai I & Reisca II. Their are also 12 ducal corsairs(Rosamonte, Halcyon, Reisca's Revenge, Pax, Ghua, Spacelark, Duoess, Minir, Sade, Firefate, Matador, Carolon's Plight).. Plus 17 independant corsairs call Port Nicholai home. St. Foy has alliances with Dark Goddesses, Webrunners, Beaumonde (their primary military supplier) 3 PAW armed Kharis class patrol cruisers (Atrophos, Clothos, Lachesis) have just been secretly completed for St. Foy by Grace-Beamonde Shipyards. 6 new SDB's are currently building in the partially completed Ducal Shipyards in the asteroid belt. The effort is being helped by a new colony of Aakho with the assitance of technical support by Grace-Beamonde & The Eslyat Magistry.
Climate
St. Foy's climate averages around 20 degrees below Earth norm. The planet's terrain tends to the mountainous in most areas. There are very strong wind currents causing hazardous aerial navigation. This is especially true around the canyons where Port Nicholai & Cursewell are located). Flights in and out those locations should make use of ground control or drop navigation beacons.
The main reason for developing St. Foy was the original scouts of Nicholai I finding esperite deposits. St. Foy exports about 2 kg a year of this ore. Abundant on this planet are deposits of Gharytite, a radioactive ore (harmless to humans) that distorts sensor signals. Gharytite is used in St. Foy SDB's & Planetary Monitors in a refined form. As yet Gharytite is a state secret though Zhodhani agents have become aware of it.
For unknown reasons, there are only 13 species of terrestrial animals above 10 kg native to this planet. The largest native animal is the Xorters, a family of whalelike saurians that are the dominant sea predator. There are 8 species: King Xorter (10m long), Yellow Xorter (7.2m long), Armida's Xorter (6.1 m long), Southern Xorter (6 m long), Bag Xorter (a filter feeder 6 m long), Plaso's Xorter (4 m long), Coastal Xorter (2m long), Red Xorter (1.5m long); lengths are based on the largest known specimen. The Xorters are hunted for their skins (excellent for vac skins), blubber (cosmetics & nutironal supplements), & meat.
St. Foy's TL is the base level. Many industries use higher TL dies & machines as well as imported (or impressed) technicians. The planet's waters have a yellowish-red tint due to the vast of plankton in the colder currents. Fishing fleets from Fahernt naval base & Ner Lon island have exploited these rich fishing grounds since Reisca I, providing spacers with fresh meat. The contragravity subs Farhrent, Gulper, Raischke, Zernon, Vhilis, Shulty (armour factor 8, 100 missiles ea., 450 KPH, Agility 6)each operate out of Fahrent also under the command of Admiral Antil Vhilis.
Politics
St. Foy is a feudal technology run by the families (St. Foy, Irhean, Yrvian, Beauvon, Tat'sui, Brill, Sohn, &Khilhon) of the original Psionicists who fled the Imperium during the Psionic Suppressions. The duke presides over a council made up of selected representatives of those families to dictate policy. The ducal crown is hereditary, going to the eldest of the current duke/duchess or their designated heir. Three traditional goals are still followed by the duchy: 1. The continued growth of the ducal psionic institute; 2. Continuing St. Foy as a haven for psi/non-psi peaceful coexistence. ; 3. Increasing the power of St. Foy.
The current duke, Nicholai II continues the policies of Reisca II to raise the TL of St. Foy & building its port facilities to increase its profits from servicing corsairs rather than active raiding itself. This has caused concern with the active pro-piracy faction. Nicholai has also petitioned the Comsentient Alliance to be accepted as a member nation, receiving a cool but receptive response. The Duke's brother Iram St. Foy has recently been sent to Rabanitas as the duke's envoy in residence. Several shipping firms, most importantly Beaufort Lines LTD, are lobbying against St. Foy's admittance.
The duchy's relationship with both the Zhodhani Consulate & the Imperium is kept at a distance. This had not of course stopped the dukes & duchesses of St. Foy from allowing both empires to use Port Nicholai as a espionage playground & reaping the benefits.
There is however a strong anti-Imperial faction, the Null-Imps, who still harbor resentment towards the Imperium for the Psionic Purges. They have in the past kidnapped & killed Imperial personnel, as well as commited sabotage aboard Imperial vessels. The last 3 rulers of St. Foy have curtailed their activities, but they still remain a threat as they have allied themselves with SORAG, the Zhodani secret service. However, the duke's sister, Clarrissa is pro-Imperial, and a longtime friend of the new ambassador to St. Foy, Manax Darkhstarr from his IISS days.
The relations with Die Weltbund remains hostile, with raids, smuggling & espionage by ducal agents remaining as active as ever. One St. Foy's side are Webrunners; Dark Goddesses; LOFW; Castle Keep, Hardass, Abyss, & Calliope in the Liberty Hall subsector; Beaumonde, Friedland, & Vlad in the Mapepire subsector; Ashiski, Epsilon Centre, & Tinzhy in the Metchi'Alagwa subsector; Silbe in the NE Middle Beyond subsector. The Eslyat Magistry (Vanguard Reaches sector; the Imperium (until DW opens up its trade routes), Zhodani Consulate, and Guildheim all give clandestine aid to the St. Foyans. Die Weltbund's allies include Phyllis' Surrender (a major source of slave crews & tech's for the DW merchant marines & schools); The IDES; Chasub pirates of Ljubuliana (Mal'Gnar Radiant).
The Duchy of Trelyn (Vanguard Reaches) is Weltbund's main outside source & ships & armaments; Dheurt Ltd.(a shadowly group inside Parallel Lines) supplies many clandestine service. The LOFW uses St. Foy as a recruiting ground for agents and mercenaries for use in rebellions in Die Weltbund space. In fact LOFW's favorite merc shock force, Klein's company (grav armour battalion), uses Reiyo Depression as a base & training ground.
The Eshenili assasins are no longer welcome as since Eshenili in the employ of Die Weltbund wre caught trying to kill the duke. Though Nicholai remain hostile to the assasins, the Eshenili have accepted their banishment with good grace and plan no revenge.