Category:Stellar Colonies of the United Citizens' Federation

History

Some colonies, such as those in the Alpha Centauri system, have been settled for decades and each has its own history. This section of the colony entry discusses the founding of the colony and major events that have occurred there.

Culture

Just as each colony has its own history, so too does each have its own culture. The vast gulfs between the stars mean that Federation Stellar Colonies, even the closest colonies at Alpha Centauri are effectively cut off from Earth. No two-way communication is possible, at least not in the method people in different areas of Earth herself use to communicate with one another. Thus, the colonies are forced to rely on ships travelling back and forth through the galaxy on the back of the awesome speed of the Cherenkov drive in order to communicate with one another, and with Earth.

This comparative isolation has resulted in the rising of different cultures on each colony. Though each of them shares a number of similarities with Earth and each hews closely to the Federation, each is easily distinguishable from the others to any traveller setting down there. For example, Iskander and Zegama Beach are both loyal colonies of the Federation but each boasts such a distinctive culture and way of life there is no way they could ever be confused. This section of the colony entry discusses the culture of the colony in general terms, ensuring that no trooper who happens to be stationed there makes a perfectly innocent mistake that results in him offending the entire local populace.

Laws

The government of each system or colony has the right to pass its own laws but may not pass any law abridging those set forth by the Federation. Generally, the laws unique to each colony are not likely to have any impact on any citizen or civilian passing through the colony; they tend to be minor misdemeanors carrying a light fine. In cases where the colony deviates markedly from the baseline of Federation laws, this will be discussed under the entry for the individual colony.

Economy

Colonies founded by the Federation do not exist for exploratory or scientific purposes. Each must pull its own weight and prove its worth to the Federation in order to be maintained, just as any individual born in the Federation must prove his worthiness to hold the franchise of citizenship. Or, to carry the analogy further, there are no ‘civilian’ colonies. Obviously this does not mean there are no civilians on the colonies themselves; in fact, just as on Earth, the majority of the populace of almost all stellar colonies is made up of civilians. As each colony must pull its own weight, each must have some manner of contribution it makes to the United Citizens’ Federation at large. This can be almost anything, provided the UCF government and SICON feel it is worthy and it is something they can measure in the bottom line. For example, Rhohan’s worth to the Federation is immediate and obvious, as one of the most prolific producers of weaponry. Zegama Beach, on the other hand, produces no weapons, no ships, no food for export. However, it is without a doubt the most prestigious vacation spot in the entire Federation and also generates a great deal of the entertainment Federation citizens and civilians enjoy every night on FedNet. Added together, these two things contribute a tremendous amount of money in taxes and other revenue, money the Federation can certainly put to good use.

This section of the colony entry is concerned with what, exactly, it is that the colony contributes to the Federation.

Points of Interest

This is almost certainly the most important part of the colony entry, at least from the standpoint of the citizens reading Citizens’ Federation. While the rest of the colony entry discusses how long the colony has existed, what life is like there and what the colony contributes to the Federation, the Points of Interest entry discusses what there is to do on the colony, an issue of vital importance to the MI trooper or Fleet pilot with a few days of R&R to spend and a few weeks’ worth of pay burning a hole in his pocket. Of course, no one knows a colony like the colonists, so citizens hoping to find something not listed in this section would be well served to inquire of a helpful civilian.