The Beyond Subsector J: Nakris

The Beyond Subsector J: Nakris

System Data

Hex  Name                 UWP       Remarks                  {Ix}   (Ex)    [Cx]   N B  Z PBG W  A    Stellar                

---- -------------------- --------- ------------------------ ------ ------- ------ - -- - --- -- ---- -----------------

0923 Emptor               E553566-7 Ni Po Co O:0723          { -3 } (641-1) [829B] - -  - 930 8  CoLg G4 V                   

0924 Mornavin             DB93310-A Lo Ho                    { -1 } (A21+1) [327B] - -  - 410 7  CoLg F9 IV G5 V K9 V        

0930 Shashur              B43476A-9 Sa O:1230                { 1 }  (C64-3) [4879] - -  - 723 12 NkCo K5 V M0 V              

1023 Cambyses Nova        C546475-6 Ni Pa                    { -2 } (933-2) [6223] - -  - 513 11 CoLg K0 V                   

1024 Zebulon              D658343-7 Lo Co Sa                 { -3 } (321+1) [1195] - -  - 423 15 CoLg G4 V                   

1026 Pit Stop             B100214-A Lo Va Sa                 { 1 }  (E11+2) [1348] - -  - 424 12 NaHu M1 V                   

1028 Roffair              C546512-A Ag Ni                    { 1 }  (A42-2) [6679] - -  - 813 14 NkCo K3 V D                 

1123 New Damascus         D655476-5 Ni Lt Ga Pa              { -3 } (831+1) [7161] - -  - 613 13 CoLg G8 V                   

1126 Neibling             E211000-0 Ba Ic                    { -3 } (400-1) [0000] - -  - 030 9  NaXX M7 V BD                

1225 Nekro                X221000-0 Ba Po Fo                 { -3 } (B00-3) [0000] - -  R 010 5  NaXX M0 V M7 V              

1227 Gateway              B822313-B Lo Po Ho He              { 1 }  (A21+1) [345A] - -  - 402 11 NaHu M2 V BD                

1229 Atie                 C675768-C Ag Ht Pi O:1230          { 2 }  (76A+2) [995C] - -  - 402 13 NkCo K0 V                   

1230 Nakris               A6669A8-C Ga Hi Ht Pr Cx           { 3 }  (789+1) [BC68] - K  - 422 11 NkCo G4 V                   

1324 Stovall              B212314-9 Lo Ic                    { 0 }  (B21+1) [1327] - -  - 213 10 NaHu K3 III D               

1330 Heby                 B765537-A Ag Ga Ni Pr              { 2 }  (747-5) [374A] - -  - 412 11 NkCo K9 IV                  

1522 Broduhr              B301213-B Lo Ic Va                 { 1 }  (D11-3) [1339] - -  - 322 12 NaHu A8 V                   

1526 Kale                 B556524-B Ag Ni Sa                 { 2 }  (746-3) [973C] - -  - 713 8  ShRp G6 V                   

1530 Nosenos              E201000-0 Ba Ic Va                 { -3 } (700+3) [0000] - -  - 031 15 NaXX K9 V M5 V              

1623 Burk                 C666424-8 Ni Ga Pa                 { -2 } (D31-2) [1298] - -  - 512 9  ShRp M2 V                   

1626 Teglass              C442322-A Lo Po He                 { 0 }  (821+1) [3326] - -  - 622 10 ShRp G1 V G9 V              

The Nakris subsector consists of 20 systems and 4.113 billion sophonts, of which four billion reside on Nakris. The five Nakris Confederation worlds within the subsector account for all but the 1.8 million residents. This remainder is mostly split between five Corellan League worlds and three members of the Stormhaven Republic. Four systems are waystations operated by the Gateway Consortium to maintain trade between the scattered states of the region. Located at the border of the Corellan League and wedged between the Zydarian Codominium and the Stormhaven Republic, Nakris faces the Ghost Rift to rimward and the Aslan Hierate to trailing. It is both a conduit for trade and a frontier region.

Worlds

Atie (1229 C675768-C)

Atie was colonized from Nakris in 538 and remains under the rule of the capital of the Confederation. The world is young, with little surface life and barely enough oxygen in its otherwise standard atmosphere. Heavy volcanic activity and considerable mineral wealth has driven industrial development of the world with the hope that it will supplement Nakris's output into the future. An independence movement, the Atie Liberation Front, has gained support in the mining settlements but has yet to infiltrate the cities and it remains a peaceful movement which the central administration believes can be appeased by improved labor contracts rather than full independence.

Gateway (1227 B822313-B)

The world of Gateway is a steaming volcanic planet, far outside the habitable zone of its red dwarf primary, yet still too hot for comfortable surface excursions. The small amount of free oxygen in the air is strictly from non-organic processes on this six hundred million year old world. Though its harsh conditions preclude all but a few surface mining stations, the world is the headquarters of the Gateway Consortium, which operates a number of waystations on the trailing frontier of the Corellan League from the orbital Gateway Highport installation. Pursuant to treaties with the Stormhaven Republic and Nakris Confederation, the Highport is open to all commercial traffic, though expensive, with docking fees running Cr 500 per day for external berths and Cr 5000 per day for internal bays for even small vessels. Both refined and unrefined fuel is available, but at double normal costs. Various qualities of accommodations are regulated to identical pricing for travellers and crews of both Gateway-operated and independent vessels. The facility is well appointed and the staff is courteous to all visitors.

Heby (1330 B765537-A)

Heby was settled by refugees from the Aslan expansion in -568, but the colony never thrived. An initial policy of rejecting additional settlers and strong tariffs on all imported goods limited early development. The garden world's ecosystem, so similar to Terra, proved difficult to overcome, as diseases devastated crops, livestock, and some peripheral settlements. Eventually ruled by petty warlords, the world only united in a Council of Notables to ask for membership in and support from the Nakris Confederation in 530. Since then, despite significant investment, the world has not developed. Poverty is widespread and the ruling elite lord over town and village-sized settlements and poorly managed agricultural land from their tower fortresses. Large areas of the world's most fertile basin are reserved as hunting preserves where the rich match skills with oversized herbivores and packs of vicious predators.

Kale (1526 B556524-B)

The residents of Kale are very insistent on the pronunciation of their world: it's Kal'e. However, this moon of a very large gas giant is famous for green aurora called Kale's Curtains and those curtains look a bit like the cabbage, kale, without the glottal stop. Kale is a trade world on Stormhaven's frontier, a conduit for traffic from both Gateway and Stovall. A fairly high level of background radiation from the gas giant has limited development of the world, but long-term residents experience only marginal increases in cancer rates.

Nakris (1230 A6669A8-C)

A garden world settled by pioneers from Imperial space and dissidents from Corella, Nakris has grown to be a high population world that is the capital and major component of the Nakris Confederation.

Physical Characteristics

The six billion year old garden world of Nakris is slighter cooler than Terra and smaller, with a surface gravity of 0.75 standard, but possesses a very breathable atmosphere and a well-established complex ecosystem compatible with Terran life. Two moons raise significant tides, limiting coastal settlement but also maintaining tectonic activity on the aging planet. The moons Etta and Betta house most of the heavy industry of Nakris and the outer is home to the Nakris Betta Starport, which handles most of the interstellar traffic and starship construction in the system.

History

A group of Imperials out of the Deneb sector formed the Nakris Corporation in 430 and set out beyond the frontier to settle a new world. Arriving at Navarre with some ships damaged by corsair encounters, the small fleet accepted assistance from a group of Corellan League citizens who had been trying to escape the influences of the Great Houses and Storm Knights in the aftermath of the end of the Aslan Expeditions. Heading rimward past the League and the newly established Stormhaven Republic, they settled the garden world they named Nakris in 433 and established an  independent democracy not seeped in exploitation or a warrior ethic.

As Nakris expanded to form a confederation with its neighbors, it maintained its democratic traditions for several centuries, but after a series of economic downturns in the eighth century, the Parliament passed emergency measures that established a Grand Council of lifetime-appointed experts in 804, and in 827 allowed the establishment of a Permanent Chair with the power to coordinate economic activities and to appoint new Grand Council members. The Permanent Chair Act of 827 was in hindsight the end of Nakrisian democracy.

Emergency measures became permanent as the ninth century progressed and the Permanent Chair and Grand Council absorbed powers once granted to the Confederation Senate, which still exists, but since 934, all Senate seats from Nakris and its dependent worlds have been members of the Permanent Chair-appointed Grand Council.

The current Permanent Chair, Gwen Aarula-Baskins, has been in effect the absolute ruler of the world of Nakris and the Confederation since 1067.

Social Characteristics

With a population of nearly four billion residing on Nakris, much of the surface is fairly well developed, though large parks dedicated to preserving the native ecosphere exist. Urban life is concentrated in dense cities dominated by tower complexes that are essentially small arcologies housing 10-20,000 residents each. Regulations established centuries ago to promote economic recovery are still in place, limiting the ability of citizens to reside outside the city of their birth without special permission, and enforcing a number of regulations on most industries that limit employment practices to ensure worker's rights.

Despite the intent of many of its settlers to differentiate from their Corellan roots, for the majority of citizens Nakrisian society mirrors that of Corella and Lyheric with the middle class receiving significant benefits and prospering atop an economy supported by robotic and clone labor, though these artificial beings are less sophisticated than those typically encountered in the Corellan League.

Nekro (1226 X221000-0)

The Nekro system is very compact with orbiting five worlds around the M0 V primary and none around the nearby M7 V companion. The outermost of this set of small worlds, Nekro, is technically in the habitable zone. It rotates three times for every two orbits around its sun and has a very thin, very hazardous atmosphere. Prion-like airborne lifeforms are capable of infecting hosts and causing nearly irreversible neurological damage and death within days of exposure. This led to the interdiction of the entire system, enforced only by automated warning stations. As Nekro is the only world in the system with a source of hydrogen usable as fuel, a ship stranded at Nekro may be tempted to use the world for refueling, but as the warning messages indicate, torpedoes will fire from automated orbital platforms and destroy any ship attempting to land. A periodic CLSF sweep out of Zebulon will attempt to rescue anyone trapped in the system, but these patrols occur only twice per year.

Articles

Nakris Confederation

The Nakris Confederation consists of nine systems beyond the rim-trailing frontier of the Corellan League, situated between the Zydarian Codominium and Stormhaven Republic. Centered on the high population world of Nakris, the Confederation faces the Ghost Rift and the spinward extent of the Aslan Hierate.

History

The Nakris Confederation originated with the colonization of Nakris in 433 by Imperials and Corellans with the intent of creating a civilization that lessened the influence of both the Great Houses and the Storm Knights. The previously settled world of Heby joined with Nakris in 530 to form the nascent Nakris Confederation, and Nakris itself colonized Atie, Mieskka, Shashur, and Dacadad between the sixth and eighth centuries, with the nearby worlds of Roffair, Mien, and Vroekmozaas joining the Confederation during that period in return for promises of defense from corsair activity.

By the early ninth century, economic difficulties on Nakris had eroded democratic traditions and put in place the dictatorship of the Permanent Chair and the Grand Council, which in turn took control of the Grand Senate of the Confederation, converting the government into a centralized state under Nakris control, though in name it is still a confederation.

The piratical behavior of the Zydarian Star Legion and aggressive tactics of Zydarian missionaries led to the Zydar-Nakris War of 1032-1034, which ended in the siege of Zydar and an agreement that removed Star Legion ships and Zydar missionaries from the Confederation and all of the Nakris subsector.

In the years following the war the Nakris Star Force has expanded its patrol presence into the territory beyond its rimward and trailing borders, becoming a force for order in the sparsely populated space.

The Confederation is active in diplomatic attempts to curtail Zydarian activities, though the efforts have seen little success and Nakris has indicated a wiliness to use force against the Star Legion if necessary.

Structure

While Nakris began as a confederation ruled by a Grand Senate with two representatives from each member world, it has evolved into a dictatorship under the guidance of the Permanent Chair of Nakris and the Chair's appointed Grand Council, who also hold twelve of eighteen senatorial seats, those of Nakris and its three colonies and those of the corporate-owned settlements of Roffair and Mien who have traded their seats for monopoly rights to their systems.

Mieskka, the only other major power in the Confederation, has not had a central government in four centuries, and its Senators are constantly recalled or absent.  The rulers of both Heby and Vroekmozaas appoint pliant Senators in return for Nakris not interfering in their internal affairs.

The Grand Senators meet in chambers adjacent to the Nakris Betta Starport on Nakris's outer moon and use their annual sessions to rubber-stamp the policies of the Permanent Chair. Though the Grand Senators technically have the power to dissolve the Confederacy by a simple majority vote, such an action is unthinkable. Even if that were to occur, the Nakris Star Force, though technically sworn to the Confederation, will by treaty revert to control of its members in proportion to revenue contribution and Nakris provides 99% of the funding and personnel to the organization.

Military

As local defense is the responsibility of member systems, the only Confederation military force is the Nakris Confederation Star Force (NCSF), essentially entirely equipped and staffed by Nakris itself. As a result, the NCSF has a solid command structure, lacking many of the problems of conflicting priorities and special interests faced by the Corellan League Star Force. Equipped to TL 12 standards and focused on frigate and destroyer-sized ships backed by a core squadron of cruiser-class capital ships, the NCSF is focused on anti-piracy and ihatei blocking missions. The troop component of the NCSF is small, but well trained in boarding actions and jump deployment, not expected to occupy territory but to strike decisively in ship-to-ship action and surface raids.

Overall, though not particularly large, the NCSF is the best trained and most effective military force in The Beyond, capable, in war games at least, of going head-to-head with even a major Aslan clan invasion.

Relations

The Nakris Confederation has a skilled diplomatic corps that does its best to maintain good relations with all its neighbors. Relations with the Corellan League were wary early in the Confederation's history but have improved considerably since the rise of the Zydar Codominium. Likewise, a rocky start with the Stormhaven Republic was overcome by centuries of strong trade links and cooperation against ihatei activity to rimward. After defeating Zydar in the Zydar-Nakris War, the two states have maintained embassies in each other's capitals and while Zydar has technically lived up to its obligations in the Treaty of Zydar, its Star Legion continues to push the limits with its "tithing" activities.

Nakris's diplomats have reached far afield, exchanging ambassadors with Jarnac, Mapepire, Die Weltbund, Avalar, Lod, and the Third Imperium, though the Imperium's ambassador has not been replaced since the death of the last envoy in 1102. A diplomatic mission to the Zhodani Consulate returned with some nice gifts, but no promise of an ambassadorial exchange.

Gateway Consortium

The Gateway Consortium is registered within the Corellan League as an operator of commercial starports and starships for the purpose of conducting foreign trade. Although its charter does not prevent the Consortium from conducting trade and operating starports within the League, more than 90% of Gateway's business is concerned with interfaces between the League and its neighbors, mainly in the trailing border regions in the Narkis, Zydar and I'Sred!Ni Heptad subsectors, though its only trade with the I'Sred Protectorate occurs out of the Consortium's brokerage office on Shalukin.

Formed in 435, shortly after the creation of the Stormhaven Republic and the settlement of Nakris, the Gateway Consortium dominates large scale trade between the Corellan League, Stormhaven, Nakris and Zydar and is a major factor in commercial ties with Beriel. It has a minor but growing presence in trade to the Jarnac Pashalic, Monarchy of Lod, Marrakesh, Sant Rabloes and the Florian League. Trade with various Aslan clans has risen and subsided over the centuries, but is not currently a major source of income.

In six systems, the Gateway Consortium has established starport-class waystations and become the effective system government. Since its executive offices transferred from Shekerleb in 631 the Consortium Headquarters has been located at the Class B Gateway Highport in orbit around the planet Gateway. The Consortium controls additional Class B starports at Nestor, Pit Stop, Stovall, Boduhr, and Link.

For centuries, the Gateway Consortium maintained an effective monopoly on trade routes by limiting access to its ports to its own vessels and by charging high rates to military vessels from Corella, Nakris, and Stormhaven that wished to use Gateway facilities for resupply or minor maintenance. While the League supported this position, mainly because of ownership and influence interrelationships with a number of League Great Houses and other League-registered Consortia, outside states and independent operators were unhappy with this arrangement.

In 833, the combined pressure of Stormhaven and Nakris forced the Consortium to surrender its monopoly. The terms and conditions of the Gateway Compact allowed open access to its waystations by independent commercial vessels and set limits for allowable fees.

At all six Gateway-operated Class B ports, the fee schedule, still determined by the Compact, is as follows:

External terminal docking	Cr 500 per day
Internal terminal and maintenance bay docking	Cr 5000 per day
Unrefined fuel	Cr 200 per ton
Refined fuel	Cr 2000 per ton
Large ship (5000 tons+) external docking	Cr 1000 per day; 50,000 ton maximum
Large ship internal docking	Highest of Cr 10,000 per day or Cr 1 per ton per day; 20,000 ton maximum
Accommodations	variable, starting at Cr 50 per day.

A Travellers Aid Society hostel is present at each starport via a special lease arrangement and is free to charge whatever rates it desires. Since the closure of the TAS hostel on Adhaeoe in Knoellighz Sector, the hostel on Nestor is the furthest operational Travellers Aid Society facility from the borders of the Third Imperium.

Despite being a registered Corellan League entity and thus under its jurisdiction, the Gateway Consortium maintains its own diplomatic staff and consular offices on various major League member worlds and on Jarnac, Zydar, Nakris, Stormhaven, Beriel, and Lod.

Odysseus-class Armed Merchant

Built under license from an old Kraken Heavy Industries design, the Odysseus-class Armed Merchant is a slightly upgraded far trader designed to operate in frontier areas. Unlike the GeDeCo Soho-class light freighter, which is substantially better armed and armored, but also much more expensive and less able to generate revenue, the Odysseus is a compromise design that is tasked to have more opportunities to achieve profitability.

The two triple turrets standard on the Odysseus are a dorsal turret with three long range, high yield pulse lasers to pack a stand-off offensive punch, and a ventral turret with a beam, missile and sandcaster mount for maximum utility including defensive capabilities against lasers, missiles and boarding parties.

The upgraded 2g maneuver drive is not terribly fast, but follows the maxim of "you don't have to outrun the Vargr, just the other guy", to divert focus to other targets of opportunity, to allow greater time to escape, or to allow greater time to fire back with the long range pulse laser turret to discourage pursuit.

As passengers normally generate more revenue than freight on a per ton basis, the Odysseus retains the full upper deck platform of an A2 far trader and, using optimized drives and batteries, only sacrifices five tons of cargo capacity. The standard addition of collapsible tanks enables the capability to stretch ranges to four parsecs in order to cross minor rifts.

For those insisting on a freight-only model, the Argo-class variant allows for 35 tons of additional cargo or equipment on the upper deck and includes a dorsal hatch just forward of the turret that is capable of accepting a 10-ton vehicle or cargo container.

Defender-class Frigate

The Nakris Confederation Space Force (NCSF) Defender-class is a frigate or destroyer-escort class starship optimized for anti-piracy and ihatei deterrence patrols. The 1400-ton vessel is normally deployed in patrol groups of 2-4 ships. The Defenders are more than adequate to defeat or deter both independent pirates and most Zydar Codominium Star Legion vessels, but would have some challenges standing up to a group of larger Aslan ihatei warcraft without support from heavier elements of the NCSF.

While the major advantage of the Defender is its well-trained NCSF crew, it is also fairly heavily armored and armed, sporting a small fusion gun bay for use against more powerful ships. For very long range combat it mounts two small missile bays, three particle beam barbettes, and six triple pulse turrets optimized for extended range fire. Pairs of point defense batteries and nuclear dampers provide additional close-in protection.

The major drawback to the Defender is its lack of additional cargo capacity and fairly restricted quarters, factors that limit the ship's effectiveness on long deployments. As a result, a Defender patrol groups tends to operate in sweeps of no more than 120 days and eight to ten jumps.

Hornet-class Boarding Pinnace

The Hornet-class Boarding Pinnace is the standard Nakris Confederation Space Force (NCSF) small craft. It is designed for boarding actions and customs duty, being capable of holding a dozen troops and up to six prisoners in its brig. Capable of 7g acceleration and equipped with a breaching tube and forced linkage apparatus, it is able to dock with most non-compliant vessels and if necessary, able to fire on targets from range with missiles and up close with a bow-mounted pulse laser. Variant Hornet designs include a dropship for jump troops, and models specialized for passengers, cargos, or fuel, utilizing the 22.2 tons of available internal space in a variety of ways. All variants are externally nearly identical, allowing them to be deployed from standard docking cradles and launch tubes.