Tiven may be the most fertile world in Shannedam County. Its association with the Tiven-Rilus-Ope'Diar Megaplex has earned it a deserved reputation as the food-provider for the free worlds of the Alaric March. The slight tilt in the planet's axis keeps the growing season year-round, the main reason the planet is so productive.
Tiven has two continents and several small, actively volcanic islands. A mountain range runs along the southern coast of Seta, the larger continent. The rest of it, from prairies to steep, hilly areas, is given over entirely to agriculture. Abos, the smaller continent, is less productive because of poorer soil, but terraforming efforts in the last 30 years are beginning to yield promising results. The tree main Fintra Isles, all born within the last 200 years, are uninhabited because of the presence of violent volcanoes.
Most of Tiven's cities were destroyed during the rebellion against the KessRith. the people of Tiven made this liability an asset by creating modern, well-planned urban environments when rebuilding.
Early History[]
With its rich soil and a hospitable atmosphere, Tiven was ripe for settlement when it was first charted in 3200. Unfortunately, its Baufrin and Human colonists were never quite able to live in peace. Petty complaints and imagined snubs evolved into insults and injuries, and pride prevented any permanent compromise. Children raised with racial prejudice passed that prejudice on to their own children.
Racial hatred even prevented Tiven from joining the Commonwealth, as each race was convinced that the other had ulterior motives in supporting the proposed union. By 3700, the politics of the various farming cartels on Tiven gave rise to political assassinations and bombings. Water supplies were poisoned, and thousands of acres of farmland were laid waste by both races.
Tensions erupted in 3715 in a short but furious civil war. Tiven's strong diplomatic and trade ties to the Commonwealth convinced the latter government to deploy three strike regiments to help restore peace and democracy. The intervention only resulted in a long series of broken cease-fires. The Commonwealth decided to stay out of Tiven's internal affairs as long as food shipments were uninterrupted.
The Snow Plague triggered more killing. Tiven's Humans blamed the Baufrin for the Plague, and launched a wave of genocidal attacks on their communities. The Baufrin retaliated, killing most of the Humans who had survived. Both races were shocked when the KessRith arrived to mop up everyone who was left. The KessRith occupation gave the Baufrin and Humans a common enemy. All the hatred for one another was redirected for several centuries.
War broke out in 6550 when the Humans and Baufrin captured several strategic KessRith garrisons and arsenals. Now heavily armed, the rebels took on the KessRith legions. Both sides suffered heavily losses and entire cities were destroyed. The final battle in 6571 followed a two-year siege by the KessRith in an attempt to recapture their capital city, Vaisuvian (now Havana). The rebels' strength and off-world pressures eventually forced the Empire to withdraw its garrison in order to defend worlds in Keserdal County.
Tiven's postwar economy was boosted by Cyrus Regan, head of the Tiven Planetary Co-op. Regan saw that his world's future depended on high-tech materials and parts. He also knew that Tiven's food supplies were in high demand on the industrial worlds that could supply those materials and parts. Both Tiven and the industrial worlds with which it traded set such high tariffs that no one made a decent profit.
Backed by the Grand Duke, Regan took steps to improve the situation. In 6711, Tiven, Rilus V, and Ope'Diar signed the treaty that established the Megaplex. Trade restrictions between these worlds were abolished, allowing all sides a fair profit. Tiven is the agricultural hub of the triad, producing foodstuffs, spices, and high-tech subcomponents. The subcomponents are sent to Rilus V, where they are assembled into finished products. Finished machinery is shipped to Ope'Diar, which sends G-A crystals and rare-earth elements to Tiven for use in its high-tech manufacturing.
All three worlds produce more than any of them need. The excess provides a handsome profit in trade with other worlds. Many worlds labeled the selective lack of tariffs an unfair trade practice, and took their business elsewhere. Others threatened economic or political sanctions. The bottom line, though, is that the three-way agreement breaks no Commonwealth laws. nor is it expected to while the Grand Duke's house supports it.
Tiven's main agricultural competitor is Wuj. Those worlds that were embittered by Tiven's profits have turned to Wuj for foodstuffs. However, Wuj's output has significantly dwindled since it was invaded two years ago, and most worlds have reluctantly returned to Tiven's markets.
Recent Events[]
The TOG push into Shannedam County has somewhat slowed Tiven's economy, as the world has had to spend more money on defense, arms, and public works. TOG's invasions have driven millions of civilians off their planets. Tiven initially opened its arms to these refugees, but after two years, the planet was too swamped to accept any more.
Those refugees, primarily from Ciria and Yols, have found refuge in camps on Abos. Parliament used the refugees as an excuse to experiment with land-enriching chemicals and techniques. Now many former waste areas in Abos are beginning to produce remarkable yields.
Tiven also opened its doors to the CAF. Before 6820, only half an infantry legion was stationed on Tiven. Since then, Parliament has formed two regiments of infantry, the 1st and 2nd Tiven Home Guard. Though armed with the best equipment the Megaplex can buy, they are not yet considered a viable defense force. At the same time, Tiven began several bunker complexes and built a new medium-fighter base in the system.
Tiven petitioned the Commonwealth for a permanent grav legion garrison, but the petition was denied. Turning to the Renegade Legions, Tiven simply bought a legion for itself. It agreed to underwrite the costs of refitting and maintaining a legion in exchange for having the unit stationed on Tiven. The Renegade 1711th Strike Legion was selected, and this unit is currently split between Abos and Seta.
Tiven has also proved to be a convenient and hospitable location for the rest-and-recreation of battered Commonwealth troops.The troops enjoy their stay, while giving Tiven even more protection any time a unit is present. Tiven's Parliament has been happy to underwrite their costs while on the planet, saving the Commonwealth that expense.
Tiven's population has grown increasingly nervous ever since the TOG Navy began raiding their system three years ago. All the attacks have concentrated on the VLCA, not Tiven itself, but that has not made the people feel any safer. The TOG commanders believe that disabling the VLCA would drastically reduce Defiance's communication with the rest of the Commonwealth, hindering its resupply and reinforcements.
Political tension increased even more when TOG recently offered Tiven the opportunity to send an ambassador to Thapsus to discuss terms for surrender of the world. Though TOG often sends such messages to create political turmoil, it had more than its desired effect on the people of Tiven. Panic, runs on banks, and rioting have broken out in protest over the Commonwealth's refusal to garrison Tiven properly. These political tensions have worsened relations with the Commonwealth, further serving TOG's purposes.
The refugees on Abos continue to be a point of controversy. Temporary camps set up several years ago are still filled with unsettled refugees, and conditions in some of the camps have deteriorated drastically. The good citizens of B'Edist, Host, and Spirilsite are demanding that the yet-unsettled refugees be transported to New Janos or other worlds. Violent incidents between refugees and the local population have become more frequent, further adding to the tensions between the Commonwealth and Tiven.
Government[]
Representational Neofeudalism, backed by a strong corporate Biz-archy (entrenched business hierarchy). The head of state is a feudal Baron who derives his power from an elected parliament. The parliament is controlled unofficially by a corporate Biz-archy, a system original to the Tiven-Rilus-Ope'Diar triangle. The major corporations control, by financial means, who runs for office and who is elected. Success is determined by the effectiveness of one's corporate-backed campaign. While on the surface it appears to conform to the classical Commonwealth parliamentary government, the Biz-archy controls every aspect of the government.
Economy[]
For the last 100 years, the economic success of Tiven has grown with the rise of the Tiven-Rilus-Ope'Diar Industrial Megaplex. This trade cartel was established by Cyrus Regan of Tiven, the Sheriff of Rilus V, Quincy McNamara, and Sahndra Tedha, the head of a Baufrin mining family on Ope'Diar. It was quickly expanded to include Massus Interstellar - the financial/industrial base for the Shannedam County Grand Dukes.
This cartel led to a very lucrative triangular trade. From hospitable Tiven comes agricultural and finished, high-tech industrial products. They go to Rilus V, which produces raw industrial materials and heavy machinery for shipment to the hostile but crystal-rich Ope'Diar system. Ope'Diar sends Gennium-Arsenic crystals and rare-earth elements to Tiven for use in its high-tech products. With all the trade barriers dropped between these worlds, their economies race along at a fast pace. The extra units they produce are sent at premium prices to other worlds, making the triad something of an economic blackhole - money goes in from other worlds, but rarely back out. Naturally, most of the rest of Shannedam County isn't pleased with this situation, but entreaties to the Grand Duke go unheard. As Massus Interstellar is doing the hauling for this trade, very few people wonder why the Grand Duke is reluctant to upset its applecart. The cartel's development of fringe claims in other systems, and subsequent subversion of worker safety laws that inhibit free trade, has also drawn fire. Still, the fact that the Cartel is devoting itself to the defense of the County has not been overlooked - if not for the constant supply of ships and materials from the Tiven-Rilus-Ope'Diar Megaplex, things would be much grimmer in Shannedam County.
History[]
Like most of the worlds in Shannedam County, Tiven was settled during the period of the Terran Raj, fell prey to the Snow Plague and was occupied by the KessRith. Tiven was among the first to be taken back in the human uprisings that led to the foundation of the Commonwealth. The fighting on Tiven was bitter and the outcome decided only after a two-year siege of the planet's capital, Vaisuvian (also known as Rock Spider). In 6571 the human rebels finally prevailed, after a KessRith attempt to break the siege failed. Three years later Tiven joined the Commonwealth.
The planet itself is blessed with a very comfortable environment. It is ideally suited for all forms of industry, which include massive agro-industrial combines that farm whole continents. Tiven is the breadbasket for most of the hardcore industrial or mining worlds in the region, and it does a fair bit of tourist trade as well. Over the first 150 years of association with the Commonwealth, Tiven prospered and business interests gradually took over many governmental functions and prerogatives.
In 6709, Cyrus Regan, planetary head of the Tiven agronomic Megaplex, realized that Tiven's individual growth had been maximized. Backed by Baron Itredus and enjoying a covert blessing from the Grand Duke, Regan forced the Tiven-Rilus-Ope'Diar Megaplex into existence. In doing so, he expanded Tiven's markets and helped improve the economies of the Megaplex's trading partners. At the same time, the Megaplex sought and won exclusions from many of the tariffs that hampered their competition. With the Megaplex's formal chartering in 6711, it became the backbone of Shannedam County's economy and has remained so since. Its efforts at economic development of other worlds have met with some success, and some (mostly the jealous) have suggested that the Megaplex is the reason TOG turned its rapacious forces on Shannedam County.
Recent events has forced Tiven to be more concerned with external political and military events than its economy, blasphemy though that may be. Seeing the TOG incursion as something of a hostile takeover, the corporate government of Tiven has begun to marshal its defenses. In a massive makeover of several whole industrial complexes, the Cartel has become the major arms supplier for the entire Ducal region. Supplying guns is not the only change Tiven has adopted for this war. Tiven is a convenient and hospitable location for rest-and-recreation for battered Commonwealth troops. Tiven has done everything it can to make troops feel welcome. Their efforts are very appreciated and many of the troops have come to think of Tiven as a home away from home.
Tiven's Board of Directors sees the war with TOG as a battle for survival. They have decided to spare no expense in insuring their freedom. Toward this end they are rumored to have underwritten all operations by the 1711th Renegade Legion (The Hell Clowns) in an effort to maintain them as the official planetary garrison unit. The Renegades have agreed to keep a unit on station at all times, though there is heavy rotation of troops. At this time, the CAF has not confirmed Tiven as the official deployment center for this legion.
Planetary Timeline[]
3200
First charted.
3700
Racial tension between Humans and Baufrin reaches boiling point.
3715
Civil war breaks out. CW intervenes.
6550
Rebellion begins.
6571
KessRith driven from Tiven.
6711
Cyrus Regan establishes Megaplex.
6820
Megaplex increases Tiven's defenses by forming two new infantry regiments and by constructing new bunker complexes and fighter bases.
Tiven buys off 1711th Renegade Infantry Legion (The Hell Clowns) for additional defense.
6828
TOG begins raids on Tiven.
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