The year is SC 0245, the planet: Orion 6. Rich in valuable minerals and ores, the arid planet became an important target for the SU to control. Shortly after the riots on Quall in 0240, the colonists of Orion 6 rebelled, attempting to force the UMFL presence out of the system. UMFL forces in the system viewed these uprisings and terrorist threats to the Union and hardened their resolve to eliminate the threat. The conflict continued to rage for years with neither side gaining a significant advantage. The Federation stepped in and offered the colonists of Orion 6 to join with them, but they refused. They didn't want to be part of any larger government, they just wanted their independence. The Federation agreed to open trade with the colonists as an independent, bringing the colonists needed supplies and rations in an otherwise barren environment.
Today, battle still rages on. The UMFL has bases scattered across the planet, trying to "liberate" the colonists from the terrorist threat the resistance poses to them. The "Serpent Legion," an elite branch of the UMFL has been dispatched to quell the rebel warbands that have been forming over the course of the past months, bringing high-end gear to the fight, and also giving resistance mechanics the chance to get some valuable salvage...
You may notice some similarities to the current/recent situation in the middle east, which is not completely coincidental. Where it gets interesting though, is where the Ijad come in. Since the people of Orion 6 have no desire to be a part of a larger government, the Ijad have found themselves more respectful of the colonists of this world. In fact, some Ijad have been willingly taken on by human hosts on the colony, creating a symbiotic relationship and in a sense a new "race."
The fiction aspect of things will focus on the conflicts between the Serpent Legion and one of these warbands, the Trident.
I feel there is a lot of room within this framework for some wonderful storytelling and some really badass events. Let me know what you think!
Greg
I think it's awesome, is what I think! I can't wait to see how this goes down!
ReplyDeleteWhat has Oriion 6 been providing to the Solar Union that the Union absolutely needs? Why are they willing to keep supporting the UMFL here?
Mainly a very large deposit of ores otherwise hard to find or available in limited quantities. These materials are ideal for frame, ship, and station construction which would not only support the Sol system, but increase the production rate of all operations in the colonies as well.
DeleteThere are some personal vendettas involved as well :).
I'm glad you like it man!
DeleteGroup-commander First-ahead Esenfé has declared your petty squabble an affront to the self-determination of all righteous Ijad. The Armored of God vow before the Sacred Flame of Consciousness to contest this system, and put the ores under... enlightened... management.
ReplyDeleteSoren, you seem to be the authority on the Ijad. I'm going to go ahead and guess that you were heavily responsible for their creation? They are by far the faction that I understand the least as far as motivations, organization, etc. I would love it if you could give me a more detailed rundown if you're allowed to before the release of the book. I'd hate to put a bunch of work into this and then not have that aspect of it work out.
ReplyDeleteNot really. I just keep asking for, or making up, stuff. Joshua seems to be more amused than pissed off, so I keep doing it.
DeleteIf you want to get inside the mind of the Ijad, read writers like CJ Cherryh and Eleanor Arnason. They're very good at portraying aliens as having human-level complexity while suspending judgement on their status as 'good' or 'evil'.
We're really co-responsible for them, which means we have different views on them (and indeed, all the factions and sub-factions). These particular band of Ijad are very, very bad people, though. We agree on that. They're small-minded and racist.
ReplyDeleteHow do they compare to the rest of the Ijad? Are they more extreme than other groups? Is there a "hippie peace loving" brand of Ijad somewhere out there? Humans obviously want expansion, wealth, power and the like. What do the Ijad want?
ReplyDeleteWell, everybody wants the same stuff. We want enough to eat, and enough for our kids to eat. We want self-fulfillment. We want security against danger, or other people trying to take our shit. When resources are limited, we're willing to fight to make sure we get 'enough'. Variable definitions of 'enough' lead to conflict.
DeleteIf you think of the factional motivations as exactly the same, think of their differences as thematic. The Solar Union conceptualizes those needs economically. Free Colonials conceptualize them politically. Ijad conceptualize them religiously.