Homeworld:Rhohan

Rhohan

Role: Military contracting
Circumference: 24,600 miles
Population: 90,000
Orbital Path: First (Only one planetary oribital ring in system)
Rotational Period (days): 1.36
Orbital Period (days): 382
Primary Function: Weapons manufacturing
Retention Index: 4

The people of almost any colony in the Federation are individualistic and self-confident – such traits are extremely valuable to anyone seeking to make a new home on a distant planet. The people of Rhohan, however, embody those traits. They are self-reliant and proud and groups of colonists have even found ways to raise crops and livestock in the harsh conditions of the planet, simply so that they need not rely more than necessary on imports from the Federation’s other colonies.

The right of civilians to bear arms on Rhohan is a source of tremendous pride to the colonists, who prize marksmanship (indeed, any martial ability) more highly than civilians elsewhere in the Federation. Shooting competitions are one of the more popular sports on the planet and the best civilian marksmen of Rhohan have embarrassed more than one cap trooper who challenged them.

There is practically no friction between the citizen and civilian populations of Rhohan. Many children of the colony grow up dreaming of enlisting Federal Service, where the cultural traits of Rhohan serve them quite well.

History

The colony on Rhohan began as an adjunct to a SICON military base on the planet, placed there as part of the ongoing monitoring After all, a well-informed enemy would not need to be a gifted strategist to realise that taking out this single colony would have a devastating impact on SICON’s ability to wage war. Three-way negotiations began between SICON, the governor of Aho Eridani system and the Citizens’ Tribunal of New Austin, the capital of Rhohan. The New Austin delegation had the upper hand from the beginning, knowing full well that SICON had no intention of taking its military contracts away from the colony’s weapons manufacturers – the product was simply too good for them to do so. In the end, the negotiations came to an unusual and wholly unexpected conclusion. In addition to increased SICON patrols throughout the region of space near Aho Eridani, SICON granted the civilian colonists of Rhohan the unprecedented right to bear arms, with the agreement such arms would only be used in defence of the colony.

Laws and Government

The colony of Rhohan is, of course, ruled over indirectly by the governor for the Aho Eridani system. However, local rule consists of an elected tribunal of three Councilmen, chosen at large from the citizen populace of Rhohan.

Rhohan has very little crime, due in part to its alert police force and the alacrity and fi nality of its courts. Some argue that the heavily-armed population also serves to keep crime so low, while others argue that having streets filled with armed civilians is the very reason there is any crime at all. Both have valid points but so long as the crime rate stays low and there is no obvious problem with armed civilians, SICON has been content to observe the situation and not interfere.

Suspicions have been raised in the past that some of the civilians of Rhohan are brokering arms deals with separatists but, despite extensive Military Intelligence investigations each time such suspicions are raised, they have never been proven.

Economy

The driving force of Rhohan’s economy is the arms trade. Ultimately, weapons are about the only export the planet has to offer but considering the value of the merchandise, it is more than enough to keep the colony wealthy. It would be even wealthier, were it not for the fact that Rhohan has to import so many of its needs. Though the colonists have been ingenious in improvising for their various necessities, the planet is simply not capable of supporting the colony independent of any outside help.

Points of Interest

Though the people of Rhohan consider their planet beautiful, most visitors fail to see the allure. The scorching summers, frigid winters and terrifying storms add up to create a climate most people of the Federation could not endure. However, there are some places of striking natural beauty on this world such as the Gulf Cliffs, a 500-foot basalt wall dropping from the Rhohan plains into the green-tinged ocean below.

Many visitors to Rhohan never leave the climate-controlled buildings of New Austin, as they are usually businessmen or representatives from SICON. Those who do get a chance to see the wilder lands of Rhohan are generally not there by choice – the Mobile Infantry likes to conduct survival training on Rhohan during the summer, when temperatures on the Brick Plains average 120 degrees, with 80 percent humidity. More than one trooper, labouring across the shimmering plains under the weight of a 60 pound pack, has dropped out of the Federal Service at the first opportunity.

The current governor of the Trio is James Pendleton, a man who served only one term with Fleet before going into politics. The colonists of the New Faith would prefer to have one of their own as governor but none of them have the required sovereign franchise as citizens.